KEMSA Upgrades Mombasa Hospital Medicine Store to Protect Drug Quality
By Staff Reporter
MOMBASA, Kenya — The Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) has refurbished the medicine store at Port Reitz Sub-County Hospital in Mombasa in a move aimed at protecting the quality of essential medicines and improving patient safety.
The upgraded facility is expected to strengthen medicine storage and stock management for more than 300,000 people who rely on the hospital and surrounding communities in Changamwe and Jomvu constituencies.
Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Sheriff Nassir presided over the handover ceremony on Monday, October 26, 2026, marking a step forward in collaboration between KEMSA and the county government to improve healthcare infrastructure and medicine management.
KEMSA Chief Executive Officer Dr Waqo Ejersa said the quality of medicines depends not only on procurement and delivery but also on how health facilities store them before dispensing them to patients.
“Protecting the quality of medicines does not end with procurement or delivery. Appropriate storage conditions are equally important in preserving product integrity before medicines reach patients,” Ejersa said.
He added that the improvements would strengthen stock management, minimise avoidable medicine deterioration and losses, and support safer and more effective patient care.
KEMSA undertook the refurbishment under its Corporate Social Responsibility programme for the 2025/2026 financial year. The project followed a needs assessment conducted in April 2025 in collaboration with Mombasa County officials and hospital management.
The assessment identified inadequate storage capacity, deteriorating infrastructure and other challenges that limited the hospital’s ability to manage medical supplies effectively.
The refurbishment included installing a ceiling and air-conditioning system to support temperature control, improving the floors, fitting additional windows with security grills and installing appropriate doors to enhance security and ventilation.
Workers also repaired storage racks, reinforced cracked walls, constructed a washroom and office spaces, installed gutters for rainwater harvesting and added perimeter pavement to minimise pest intrusion and reduce the risk of water damage.
According to Ejersa, the improvements provide a better environment for receiving, storing, organising and issuing medical supplies. However, he emphasised that the hospital must complement the infrastructure with routine temperature monitoring, accurate inventory records, equipment maintenance and compliance with product-specific storage requirements.
“Medicines are sensitive products whose quality can be compromised by inappropriate temperatures, moisture, pest infestation or inadequate security,” he said, adding that suitable storage infrastructure was essential for medicine quality and patient safety.
The project also reflects the growing partnership between KEMSA and the Mombasa County Government in managing and financing essential health products and technologies.
Ejersa commended the county for its commitment to setting aside resources for medical supplies, placing regular orders and settling payments on time. He said timely payments supported KEMSA’s revolving fund model, enabling the authority to continue procuring and distributing essential medicines to public health facilities.
“Reliable access to essential medicines depends on strong partnerships, predictable financing and effective supply-chain management,” he said.
Governor Nassir welcomed the investment, saying collaboration between national institutions and county governments could help address challenges in healthcare delivery.
He said Mombasa County remained committed to working with KEMSA to ensure health facilities had reliable access to quality and affordable medicines and other essential medical supplies.
The Port Reitz project forms part of KEMSA’s wider corporate social responsibility programme, which targets infrastructure gaps affecting healthcare delivery. The authority has also supported medicine-store improvements at Mtwapa Sub-County Hospital in Kilifi County and Msambweni County Referral Hospital in Kwale County, as well as a laboratory project at Nyonjoro Health Centre in Nakuru County.
KEMSA said it was also finalising a laboratory project at Dakabaricha Dispensary in Marsabit County during the 2026/2027 financial year.
The refurbished Port Reitz medicine store has undergone completion checks and is ready for use, according to the authority.
KEMSA said it would continue working with county governments and other stakeholders to strengthen medicine storage, supply-chain management and access to quality healthcare across the country.
