The Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA) is on the spot after reports that some officers in the agency are selling donor-funded free HIV medication in the black market.
An independent investigation by Business Daily revealed that the drugs which provide a lifeline for poor Kenyans have been turned to a cash-cow by rogue government officials working in the agency.
Antibiotics procured with the help of American aid agency USAid and are distributed by the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (Kemsa) have opened up a new business in the black market circles.
For example, A sulfur-based antibiotic called Sulfran-DS- used to prevent opportunistic infections like pneumonia and urinary tract infections in patients whose immune system is low is being sold for sh120 for a pack of 100 tablets.
The antibiotic is expensive. But through USAid supplies the drug to KEMSA which in turn is given to HIV patients for free.
But despite having a clear label reading “USAid/Kemsa Not for Resale” the antibiotic has found its way to the shelves of some pharmacies in the city center.
And patients are more inclined to buy the drug that is labeled “not for sale” because it is cheaper and time effective considering that in normal circumstances, one has to go through a specific channel as stipulated by the Ministry of Health which is tedious and time-consuming.
Universal Corporation Limited locally manufactures Sulfran-DS which is a registered brand in Kenya, Zambia, Ivory Coast, Malawi, and Uganda.
UCL has been contracted by the American donor agency to manufacture the drug and supply to Kemsa which in turn distributes it.
The company’s head Palu Dhanani said the drugs being sold currently were supplied to KEMSA in January.
“Kemsa should explain this pilferage. The particular batch number was supplied only to Kemsa and was delivered in January. If someone buys this, they are in trouble,” he said.
He said USAid had ordered for 4,776 packets of 100 tablets each at a special price of Sh170.
In one of the pharmacies at Odeon in Nairobi Central Business District, the drugs are being sold.
The owner of the pharmacy when asked where he sourced them from, he said he had been supplied by one Rosan Agencies.
A background check on Rosan revealed it is a briefcase pharmaceutical supplier that is not registered by the regulator, Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB).
It was also revealed that another drug, Nise (Nimesulide) was also in the market.
Nise, a drug for fever and pain has been banned all over the world due to its debilitating effect it has in damaging the liver. But it is still available in Kenya.