Mombasa receives 932,000 mosquito nets as KEMSA commits to set up distribution center

The Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA) has embarked on an exercise to distribute mosquito nets in malaria-endemic areas to prevent the spread of diseases.

KEMSA chief executive officer Andrew Mulwa said this is a national government program where they distribute malaria mosquito nets every three years.

There are some 22 counties that have high malaria incidents in the country which are targeted for the mass net distribution every three years.

"This program was last done in 2020/2021. We have several clusters and now we are doing Mombasa then move to  Taita Taveta and Kwale as cluster two," he said.

He spoke in Mombasa during the flagging off of 932,000 malaria mosquito nets which will be distributed in all the six sub-counties in the next two weeks.

The CEO said that the program is being initiated in clusters.

KEMSA has done distribution in the first cluster which includes Kisii, Nyamira, Siaya, Kisumu and Migori counties.

"At the end of the exercise which is expected to end in May, we should have done 18 counties as KEMSA but our other partners, the meds will do the other four counties," he said.

About 16.2 million nets are expected to be distributed nationwide.

He applauded Mombasa leadership for the good corporation saying that it is one of the good performing counties in terms of paying for medical supplies.

"We are working very well and closely with Mombasa County, in January, the county signed an MoU with KEMSA which renews our engagement with the County," he said.

KMSA CEO said that in the next five months, they expect to distribute drugs for the region from Mombasa after the opening of the Mombasa distribution centre in June.

Mombasa has been getting its drugs from Nairobi which usually takes two to three weeks to get in hospitals.

"I want to promise you that we are opening the Mombasa distribution centre in June. The construction and renovation works are already being constructed and we expect the contractor to be done in the next three months so that we start," he said.

Mulwa said that this would shorten the amount of time taken to distribute the drugs to hospitals from weeks to 48 hours.

"We appreciate the cooperation and partnership that we have with Mombasa County and I believe that together we are going to work for the people of this Republic," he said.

Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir said:

"For now it’s just ensuring that the nets reach the necessary beneficiaries. I want to appreciate the partnership we have with KEMSA including the fact that they are supplying us with drugs on time," 

"I am confident and glad to state that we are paying our dues on time and we have no debts with KMSA as our medical supplier," he said. 

Nassir said all hospitals in the region have medicine.