CS Duale announces plan to ban antibiotics delivery by boda boda riders

Speaking during the launch of a national initiative to combat counterfeit medical products, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said prescription drugs should only be dispensed through licensed pharmacies.

He noted that the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) has the mandate to regulate all medical products and ensure they meet the highest standards of safety, quality and efficacy.

"Very soon, the story where, you know, from the comfort of your house you will order an antibiotic and then you pay, then a boda boda delivers, that will be history in Kenya. We have an upcoming summit at the end of July and we will call the county and national government and we will showcase these things because we want to be a leader in our region and Africa," Duale stated.

The CS warned that criminal networks involved in the manufacture, importation, distribution and sale of counterfeit medical products will be dismantled and those responsible prosecuted.

"Nobody should blame the CEO and the management of the Pharmacy and Poisons Board. The action they're taking has the highest political backing for the interest of the Kenyan patient. So you either play by the law as provided by the regulator or look for another country to do business. PPB, you have a constitutional moral obligation to protect the citizens from falsified and substandard counterfeit medicines," he stated.

"The criminal networks involved in the manufacture, importation, distribution and sales of falsified medical products don't recognise institutional mandate neither do they recognise jurisdictional boundaries. Our response cannot operate in silos, it must be coordinated at all levels of government and agencies."

Duale also appealed to Kenyans to avoid purchasing prescription drugs through social media platforms or unauthorised delivery services.

The directive comes amid growing concern over the prevalence of substandard and falsified medical products, which health authorities say contribute to treatment failure, antimicrobial resistance and, in severe cases, fatalities.

According to PPB, the regulator handled 1,413 product quality complaints between 2021 and 2025, coordinated 99 product recalls, received 32,833 adverse drug reaction reports and issued 18 public alerts on suspected falsified medicines.