This archive report was first published on 30 September 2019.
Kenya is on the brink of a health crisis as pharmaceutical companies have stopped importing drugs following a dispute with the government over new regulations.
The Kenya Pharmaceutical Distributors Association has announced that companies importing and distributing medicines have ceased imports until the government reverses a directive requiring double inspections before allowing products into the country.
According to Dr. Kamamia Murichu, Chairman of the Kenya Pharmaceutical Distributors Association, the new regulations have already caused disruptions, with seven containers sent back to India over the weekend due to lack of a Pre-export Verification of Conformity (PVoC) certificate.
The new regulations, introduced by the Ministry of Trade, require goods to have a PVoC certificate before being allowed into the country. This certificate is a conformity assessment issued to exporting countries before the products are brought into Kenya.
From October 1, 2019, every importer must have their goods pre-inspected before leaving the country of export, at a cost of USD $250 (Sh25,000) per product. This has led to significant delays, with shipments taking close to two months to clear customs.
The government claims that the new regulations aim to improve the cost of doing business and efficiency at ports of entry, but the pharmaceutical companies warn that the delays will plunge the country into a crisis and increase the cost of drugs.
Essential medicines, including cancer treatments, painkillers, and malaria drugs, are already in short supply, and the situation is expected to worsen if the regulations are not revised.
