Former Cabinet Minister Moses Kuria has accused what he described as a pharmaceutical mafia of controlling Kenya’s drug market, claiming that medicines sold locally are significantly more expensive and of lower quality than those available in other countries.
Speaking on November 26, 2025, Kuria alleged that Kenyans are being exposed to inferior drugs whose prices have been artificially inflated, creating a major public health risk and placing an unfair financial burden on consumers. He recounted the experience of an Indian doctor friend who reportedly fell ill while visiting Nairobi and was shocked at the high price of basic over-the-counter medication, which the doctor allegedly found to be more expensive and weaker in potency compared to global standards. Kuria claimed that some pharmaceutical products in Kenya cost up to ten times more than in other countries while offering only a fraction of the expected molecule strength.
He attributed the problem to regulatory failure, accusing the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of neglecting its oversight role and instead shielding the pharmaceutical cartels he believes are responsible for flooding the market with substandard drugs. Kuria insisted that while every country has healthcare-related cartels, the influence of the pharmaceutical industry in Kenya is uniquely harmful.
Kuria also took time to congratulate Mosop MP Abraham Kirwa, who recently returned to Parliament after a prolonged recovery from a stroke he suffered live on radio during his 54th birthday broadcast in late 2023. Kirwa had undergone treatment in Nairobi, Dubai and the United States, and his extended absence led to a High Court petition filed by a constituent seeking to have his seat declared vacant. The matter is scheduled for mention on December 1, 2025.
While recounting his medical ordeal, Kirwa alleged that during his hospital stay in Nairobi he was denied medication that could have prevented his condition from worsening. He claimed that his life was saved only after doctors in Dubai intervened and warned him that some of the drugs he had been given in Kenya were substandard. Kirwa urged the government to increase funding for healthcare and strengthen regulation to ensure that all medicine sold in the country meets required quality standards. He also called for the establishment of a medical accountability board to monitor doctors’ conduct and protect patients.
Kuria echoed these concerns and urged the Mosop MP to summon the Ministry of Health to Parliament to explain what measures were in place to track pharmaceutical products entering Kenya. He insisted that strict oversight was necessary to prevent further harm to the public.
In response to the growing concerns, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale directed the relevant health boards to immediately remove all substandard and unregistered medicines from the Kenyan market. He warned that individuals or entities found supplying unsafe drugs would face legal consequences.
