Why pharmaceutical distributors are uneasy with UAE trade deal

President William Ruto and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan pose with the Foreign Affairs ministers after the signing of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement in Abu Dhabi on January 14, 2025. [Mohamed bin Zayed, X]

Pharmaceutical distributors have urged the National Assembly to reject a trade agreement Kenya signed with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), warning it could expose the country to unsafe drugs and weaken local health oversight.

In a statement dated November 18, the Kenya Pharmaceutical Distributors Association (KPDA) said the deal, tabled in the House on Tuesday, contains clauses that unscrupulous importers could exploit to bypass the Pharmacy and Poisons Board.