Kenya and French Development Agency Explore Partnership to Expand Local Medicine Manufacturing

NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenya is exploring expanded cooperation with the French Development Agency (AFD) to strengthen local pharmaceutical manufacturing, improve access to essential medicines and accelerate digital health innovation.

The discussions took place at Afya House on Tuesday, during a meeting between Principal Secretary for Medical Services Dr Ouma Oluga and an AFD delegation led by its Country Director for Kenya, Anne-Gaëlle Chapius.

The engagement forms part of the government's wider efforts to reduce dependence on imported health products and develop Kenya into a regional centre for pharmaceutical production.

Focus on domestic medicine production

The Ministry of Health said the discussions covered technical assistance, capacity building and strategic investment to support local manufacturers.

The objective is to increase domestic production of quality medicines and other essential health products while improving their availability to patients and healthcare facilities.

Kenya, like many African countries, remains exposed to international supply-chain disruptions because a significant proportion of medicines and medical products are imported.

Disruptions caused by global emergencies, transport challenges, manufacturing shortages and international market pressures can affect the availability and cost of essential health commodities.

Strengthening local production could help reduce some of these vulnerabilities while creating opportunities for investment, employment and industrial development.

However, expanding pharmaceutical manufacturing requires more than establishing factories. Companies must meet strict quality standards, maintain reliable production systems and comply with regulatory requirements.

Kenya targets a stronger manufacturing sector

The discussions come as Kenya prepares to host an Extraordinary Summit on Local Manufacturing of Health Products and Technologies.

The summit is expected to bring together African leaders and other stakeholders to examine how countries can increase domestic production of medicines, vaccines and essential medical supplies.

Kenya has already outlined a 2026–2030 Health Products and Technologies Local Manufacturing Strategy.

The government has previously stated that it wants at least 50 per cent of its essential health products to be manufactured locally.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has also highlighted the need for stronger pharmaceutical regulation and investment in local production capacity.

The strategy is intended to support health security while strengthening Kenya's position in the regional pharmaceutical market.

Digital health and artificial intelligence

The discussions with AFD also explored opportunities for collaboration in digital health and artificial intelligence.

The Ministry said the technologies could help improve healthcare delivery, strengthen the use of health data and support ongoing reforms in the health sector.

Digital systems can assist healthcare providers with patient records, service coordination, reporting and the management of health resources.

Artificial intelligence may also support selected administrative and clinical processes when appropriately developed, validated and supervised by qualified professionals.

However, the use of digital health tools requires strong safeguards around patient privacy, data security, accuracy and accountability.

Technology must complement professional medical judgement rather than replace the role of qualified healthcare workers.

AFD partnership and investment opportunities

AFD's engagement with the Ministry provides an opportunity to explore how development financing and technical expertise could support Kenya's health-sector priorities.

The agency's delegation was led by Chapius and included representatives of the French Embassy. The Ministry's delegation included Dr Nailla Ganatra, Director of Health Products and Technologies.

The government said the partnership could contribute to building a more resilient and self-reliant health system.

However, the discussions announced on Tuesday should be understood as an exploration of cooperation. The Ministry's statement did not announce a final financing agreement, a specific investment amount or a confirmed pharmaceutical manufacturing project.

What local manufacturing could mean for patients

If the strategy is implemented effectively, increased domestic production could improve the reliability of medicine supplies and create opportunities for more competitive pricing.

Local manufacturers could also benefit from access to technical expertise, stronger research capacity and regional markets.

For patients, the most important measure of success will be whether essential medicines become consistently available, affordable and safe.

The government will need to work with manufacturers, regulators, healthcare providers and development partners to ensure that increased production is matched by high quality standards.

Kenya's ambition to become a regional pharmaceutical manufacturing hub will therefore depend on sustained investment, regulatory credibility and a clear implementation framework.

The latest engagement with AFD represents another step in that process, although the long-term impact will depend on the projects and financing arrangements that emerge from the discussions.