ALARM As Fake Viagra, HIV Kits On Sale In Kenyan Market
The Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) has issued a warning that counterfeit and substandard medicines continue to circulate throughout the country.
PPB reports that male sexual enhancement medications (e.g., Viagra), HIV testing kits, and anticoagulants (blood thinners) used by dialysis patients are among the most affected items.
Dr. Edward Abwao, PPB Director of Product Safety, noted that the board’s investigations showed the presence of these goods on the market, endangering Kenyans’ lives.
Abwao was addressing the launch of a nationwide program to combat counterfeit and medical products.
Dr. Abwao cited an incident that occurred in Kilifi County, where a nurse noticed a patient’s blood starting to clot during dialysis, immediately halted the treatment, and used an alternative medication.
The case is currently in court.
Udhibiti wa dawa ghushi
Mpango wa Bodi ya Udhibiti wa Dawa na Sumu wazinduliwa
Waziri Duale aonya wanaotengeneza dawa na sumu bandia#SemaNaCitizen pic.twitter.com/OqXJYnkgoS— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) July 1, 2026
Cabinet Secretary for Health Hon. Aden Duale today inaugurated the Interministerial Steering Committee (ISC) to oversee the implementation of Kenya’s National Action Plan on Substandard and Falsified Medical Products, reaffirming the Government’s commitment to strengthening… pic.twitter.com/i9JhPwvLRz— Pharmacy and Poisons (@ppbkenya) July 1, 2026
According to the PPB, a total of 1,413 complaints about the quality of health products were reported between 2021 and 2025, resulting in the recall of 99 products from the market.
Kenya has now launched its National Action Plan on Substandard and Falsified Medical Products to tame the sale and distribution of substandard medical products.
The Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale emphasized that substandard and falsified medical products remain a major threat to patient safety, health security and economic development.
Duale was speaking during the inauguration of the Interministerial Steering Committee (ISC) to implement the Action Plan.
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He said tackling the challenge will require collaboration among regulatory agencies, law enforcement, border control authorities, county governments, healthcare professionals, manufacturers, distributors, development partners and the public.
Protecting patients goes beyond product approval.
Dr. Edward Abwao, Head of Post-Market Surveillance at the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB), highlights the critical role of post-market surveillance in ensuring the safety, quality and effectiveness of medicines and other health… pic.twitter.com/sL6sDOi7cQ— Pharmacy and Poisons (@ppbkenya) June 30, 2026
On his part, Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) Chairperson John Munyu said the initiative marks the beginning of a stronger national partnership to protect lives, strengthen public confidence in the health system and secure the future of healthcare in Kenya.
Dr. Munyu noted that over the past eight months, the Board has undertaken regulatory reforms aimed at strengthening the integrity of Kenya’s health products regulatory system.
The reforms, he said, include the mandatory re-registration of legacy medical products, strengthened surveillance at ports of entry, enhanced risk-based inspections and enforcement across the supply chain.
In addition, there should be expanded post-market surveillance and pharmacovigilance systems to improve early detection and response.
He, however, said that substandard and falsified medical products continue to exploit weaknesses across supply chains, international trade, border control, law enforcement, digital commerce and criminal networks, impeding an effective crackdown on the crisis.
ALARM As Fake Viagra, HIV Kits On Sale In Kenyan Market
