The Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) has inaugurated its Kisumu Regional Distribution Centre, marking a significant milestone with the processing of Essential Medicines and Medical Supplies (EMMS) and Program orders valued at Kshs. 295.4 million.
The orders are earmarked for Kisumu, Bungoma, Busia, Siaya and Vihiga counties. Additional orders under processing, valued at Kshs.152.8 million include; Kericho, Kisii, Nyamira and Migori counties, underscoring KEMSA’s commitment to bringing healthcare services closer to the communities.
Irungu Nyakera, the KEMSA Board Chair, emphasized the transformation of the facility into a dynamic hub, now seamlessly connected with the National Supply Chain Centre in Embakasi.
“The depots which remained moribund for nearly a decade have been linked to the National Supply Chain Centre, Embakasi to mirror functionality and enable seamless operations,” Nyakera explained.
The Chair highlighted the centre’s role in decentralizing services to meet the growing demand for accessible healthcare solutions to the Lake Region.
The Kisumu Regional Distribution Centre is designed to efficiently manage the receipt, processing, and distribution of medical supplies within the Lake Region, significantly reducing the Order Turnaround Time by about 40%.
“Decentralization of Kisumu and later Mombasa hubs, has been triggered by the growing demand to bring services closer to mwananchi in order to serve and satisfy our customers demands. Previously Kisumu Regional Distribution Centre was only processing program orders,” he added .
He said the distribution centre is part of the commitment to guarantee Kenyans enhanced access to quality and timely health products and technologies.
“This is in line with our commitment and journey towards achieving Universal Health Coverage—a core pillar to our national development agenda,” said Nyakera.
He added that the establishment of the Kisumu RDC is a clear manifestation of KEMSA’s commitment to bring ‘Dawa Mashinani’—medicine to the grassroots—closer to the people.
KEMSA CEO, Dr. Andrew Mulwa, outlined the operational scope of the new centre, initially serving 10 counties in the Nyanza, Western, and North Rift Regions, with plans to expand.
“The distance from Nairobi to Kisumu is far. Therefore, any businessman, who is quick thinking would want to get a route that is much shorter in terms of turnaround time,” Dr. Mulwa noted.
This strategic positioning is expected to enhance the supply chain efficiency dramatically.
Further he explained, the Kisumu facility boasts of an advanced Warehousing Model, enabling better visibility and management of Health Products and Technologies through the Logistics Management Information System.
“Our customers in the Lake Region will now be able to enjoy same day delivery of orders, which is a big relief to the patient,” Dr. Mulwa stated.
Reaffirming KEMSA’s strategic direction, Nyakera spoke of the Authority’s comprehensive turnaround strategy focused on operational excellence and customer satisfaction.
“Within the KEMSA turnaround strategy, the Authority has formulated plans to enhance the customer experience standards for all counties by ensuring faster order TurnAround Times to the last mile,” he said.
The Kisumu Regional Distribution Centre’s launch is a testament to KEMSA’s dedication to improving healthcare delivery across Kenya, setting a new standard for service accessibility and efficiency in the region.
