Health Cabinet Secretary Hon. Aden Duale (second left) unveils the corporate identity of MEDS Devane Company Limited (MDCL) during the MEDS 40th Anniversary Celebration in Nairobi. With him are MDCL Board Chairman Rt. Rev. Benard Owuor (left), MEDS CEO and MDCL Acting General Manager Dr. Wycliffe Nandama (second right), and MEDS Board Chairman Rt. Rev. Cleophas Oseso (far right). Named after MEDS founder Rev. Sr. Joan Devane, MDCL will serve Kenya’s private healthcare sector with quality-assured health products and supply-chain solutions from November 1, 2026.
By Peace Muthoka
Four decades after starting out with a small warehouse in Ruaraka, Nairobi, and a stock of only 30 products, the Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies (MEDS) is marking its 40th anniversary with a new commercial venture targeting Kenya’s private healthcare sector.
MEDS on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, launched MEDS Devane Company Limited (MDCL), a new company that will supply medicines, medical equipment, diagnostic and laboratory products and other healthcare supplies to private hospitals, clinics, pharmacies and laboratories.
The company, which is expected to begin operations on November 1, will initially operate in Kenya before expanding into selected East African markets in the longer term.
The launch in Nairobi, presided over by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, marked a new chapter for an organisation that has grown from a small operation into a major supplier of health products and services across the country.
MDCL Board Chairperson Rt. Rev. Benard Owuor said the new company was created in response to the changing needs of private healthcare providers, who require reliable supplies and timely services to support patient care.
“As Kenya’s healthcare landscape continues to evolve, the private healthcare sector, pharmacies and other healthcare institutions require a commercially responsive partner that understands the urgency, complexity and responsibility of healthcare delivery,” Owuor said.
The new company will provide medicines, medical consumables, diagnostic and laboratory products, infection prevention and control solutions, orthopaedic implants, medical equipment and other specialised products.
Owuor said MDCL would operate as a distinct commercial entity under professional governance while retaining the values that have guided MEDS since its establishment.
“Our ambition is not only to grow a successful company, but to grow a trusted company. We believe that commercial success and positive health impact can, and should, go together,” he said.
MEDS Chief Executive Officer and MDCL Acting General Manager Dr. Wycliffe Nandama said the company would focus on quality assurance, dependable product availability, timely delivery and professional support.
He said the reliability of medical supplies has a direct bearing on patient care, meaning healthcare providers need more than products simply being available on shelves.
“Our commitment is simple: quality products, reliable service and meaningful partnerships,” Nandama said.
The launch also featured the unveiling of the MEDS-Strathmore Supply Chain Academy, which is expected to strengthen skills development and build on MEDS’ work in healthcare systems and supply chain management.
The company’s name pays tribute to Rev. Sr. Joan Devane, the American medical missionary and pharmacist who founded MEDS in 1986.
Since then, the organisation has expanded its reach significantly. It now stocks more than 2,000 health products and technologies, serving healthcare facilities across all 47 counties and reaching more than 10,000 clients.
Its growth has also extended beyond the distribution of medical supplies. The MEDS Quality Control Laboratory, which is prequalified by the World Health Organization, has supported quality assurance work in more than 46 countries and analysed approximately 2,350 samples in 2025.
Through its Health Systems Strengthening programmes, MEDS also reaches more than 20,000 healthcare workers annually.
The organisation became a self-sustaining social enterprise in 2005, ending its reliance on donor funding.
Speaking during the anniversary celebrations, Duale recognised MEDS for its contribution to quality assurance in Kenya, particularly its collaboration with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board in laboratory testing and post-market surveillance aimed at identifying substandard and falsified health products.
He also cited MEDS’ WHO prequalification, which it has maintained since 2009, as well as its ISO 9001:2015 certification and ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation.
“I want in particular to recognise MEDS for a contribution that may be less visible than the delivery of supplies, but is just as important: its commitment to quality assurance,” Duale said.
The Cabinet Secretary further highlighted the role of faith-based health facilities in the Government’s universal health coverage agenda, saying 876 such facilities had active contracts with the Social Health Authority (SHA).
According to Duale, KSh29.8 billion had been paid against claims amounting to KSh41.1 billion.
He said universal health coverage ultimately depends on what happens at the point where patients seek treatment, including the availability of healthcare workers, affordable treatment and quality-assured medicines.
“Universal health coverage is realised at the point of care. It depends on a facility being open, a health worker being available, a patient being able to afford treatment, and quality-assured medicine being there when it is needed,” he said.
As MEDS begins its fifth decade, Duale urged the organisation to retain the values on which it was founded while investing in skills, systems and infrastructure to respond to changing healthcare needs.
Nandama also underscored the importance of a reliable supply chain in ensuring that healthcare products reach patients when needed.
“The strength of healthcare depends not only on the medicine itself, but also on the strength of the supply chain that carries it from innovation to the patient,” he said.
The anniversary was celebrated under the theme, “Celebrating 40 Years of Life-Saving Health Solutions – Legacy. Impact. Posterity.”
The event brought together representatives from MEDS’ founding institutions, the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Christian Health Association of Kenya, as well as government officials, partners, suppliers and staff.
Murang’a Governor Dr. Irungu Kang’ata and Rt. Rev. Cleophas Oseso, Chairperson of the MEDS Board of Trustees and Directors, also addressed the gathering.
As the organisation looks beyond its first 40 years, Owuor called on private healthcare providers to partner with MDCL, saying the company would seek to extend the quality and affordability associated with MEDS to a wider range of clients.
“MDCL is built on trust and designed for tomorrow. We are proud to launch a company that combines commercial sustainability with a lasting commitment to quality healthcare,” he said.
