95 arrested, 48 pharmacies closed in major crackdown

The Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) has arrested 95 individuals and closed 48 premises in a nationwide enforcement operation targeting unlicensed pharmaceutical outlets operating in Nairobi and parts of Kajiado county.

The week-long surveillance exercise, which ended on June 19, covered 155 premises across several informal settlements, including Kibra, Korogocho, Eastleigh, Dandora, Mathare, Embakasi, Nairobi West and Rongai.

Speaking at the PPB headquarters in Nairobi, Head of Good Distribution Practices and Enforcement Julius Kaluai said the arrested suspects will face prosecution in court. He added that the Board is awaiting court proceedings to determine the next legal steps in the cases.

“Within those 155 premises, we indicated that 95 of them did not comply, and therefore, they were arrested. We basically made 95 arrests, and those people, because you know, basically, the Nairobi region also includes Kajiado, have been produced in Kajiado law courts, Kibra and Makadara, so we are waiting for the outcome of the court cases that were produced”, Kaluai stated.

He said 48 premises were found to be operating without valid licences were issued with closure notices and marked for shutdown.

The board has also written to county security commanders and copied relevant county governments and the National Police Service to ensure the outlets remain closed.

“The 48 premises that were also found non-compliant were issued with the closure notices, and they have now been marked,” he said.

“The letters written to respective county commanders. The letters are similarly copied to affected county governments, as well as the national police service at the vigilance house, to ensure that the premises are permanently closed.”

Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) officers during a raid on June 22 / HANDOUT

During the operation, PPB also confiscated about 169 cartons of medicines from the illegal outlets. The drugs are currently held in the board’s custody pending court orders for disposal in line with regulatory guidelines.

Kaluai warned that individuals operating unlicensed pharmacies risk prosecution and possible loss of licences, stressing that the board will continue with enforcement actions to safeguard public health.

He urged members of the public to only purchase medicines from registered and licensed pharmacies, noting that legitimate outlets are required by law to clearly display their licences.

“The licence is not a secret document. It must be displayed where anybody can see and know who is serving them,” he said.

The PPB said it is also intensifying public awareness campaigns and strengthening reporting channels to help members of the public report illegal pharmaceutical activities.