40 arrested in crackdown on illegal chemists in Nairobi, North Eastern

Forty people have been arrested for operating illegal pharmacies within North Eastern Kenya and Nairobi regions, Pharmacy and Poisons Board has said.

In a statement on Sunday, Head of Inspections Julius Kaluai said the 40 have been booked for prosecution in various courts within the regions.

Kaluai said the operation aims to conduct surveillance along the Ethiopia and Somalia borders to combat suspected smuggling of Heath Products and technologies, particularly in Mandera and Moyale border points.

“We are also carrying out stakeholder engagement and sensitisation on PPB mandate focusing on the key players within North Eastern region among them Police, Imams, county governments, county assemblies, professional bodies, and the public ,” he said.

“The program further aims at banishing the emerging trend of abuse and misuse of controlled and prescription medicines especially by Khat users to achieve a “Kabarai impact.”

Kaluai said the Board is conducting an audit of the controlled medicines and prescription medicine documentation in line with the Pharmacy regulations.

“We have noted that most unregulated chemists within North Eastern region operate while disguised as clinics. They are mainly owned and managed by healthcare workers within the county government,” he said.

“Such officers shall be sanctioned through the respective county governments to procure valid practice licenses and to regularise their private practice in line with Good Distribution Practices for pharmaceuticals.”

The joint pharmaceutical regulatory in partnership with the National Police service commenced on April 10, 2022 to subdue unlawful pharmaceutical practices in the country.