The Standard Group Plc is a multi-media organization with investments in media
platforms spanning newspaper print
operations, television, radio broadcasting, digital and online services. The
Standard Group is recognized as a
leading multi-media house in Kenya with a key influence in matters of national
and international interest.
Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies (MEDS) has entered Kenya’s private healthcare market with the launch of a new commercial company as it marks 40 years of providing medicines and health solutions.
MEDS Devane Company Limited (MDCL), which will begin operations on November 1, will supply private hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, laboratories, distributors and other healthcare institutions with medicines, medical consumables, diagnostics, laboratory products and medical equipment.
The company will also provide infection prevention and control solutions, orthopedic implants and other specialized healthcare products, with an initial focus on Kenya before expanding into selected East African markets.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale launched MDCL in Nairobi during MEDS’ 40th anniversary celebrations, alongside the MEDS-Strathmore Supply Chain Academy.
MEDS says the new company is designed to respond to the needs of private healthcare providers who require reliable access to quality-assured products, consistent supplies and timely delivery.
MDCL Board Chair Rt Rev Benard Owuor said the company would seek to combine commercial sustainability with MEDS’ longstanding commitment to healthcare access and quality.
“Our ambition is not only to grow a successful company, but to grow a trusted company,” he said.
MEDS Chief Executive Officer Wycliffe Nandama, who is also MDCL’s Acting General Manager, said the company would focus on quality assurance and dependable supply chains.
- Why the referral system is choking major hospitals as patients suffer
- Senator raises concerns overshortage of family planning commodities
- Duale: Three suspected Ebola cases tested negative, surveillance upped
- WHO warns of rising Ebola threat as Kenya tightens response efforts
Keep Reading
“Today’s healthcare customers need more than products on a shelf. They need quality assurance, dependable availability, timely delivery, professional support and a partner who understands that every product supplied can have a direct impact on patient care,” said Nandama.
The launch comes as Kenya continues to strengthen its healthcare supply systems amid efforts to improve access to quality and affordable medicines.
CS Duale commended MEDS for its contribution to quality assurance, particularly its collaboration with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board in laboratory testing and post-market surveillance to identify substandard and falsified health products.
He cited MEDS’ World Health Organization pre-qualification since 2009, ISO 9001:2015 certification and ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation as evidence of its quality assurance systems.
Duale also highlighted the role of faith-based healthcare providers in the government’s Universal Health Coverage agenda.
According to the CS, 876 faith-based health facilities currently have active contracts with the Social Health Authority, with Sh29.8 billion paid out against claims worth Sh41.1 billion.
“Universal health coverage is realized 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,” Duale said.
MEDS, established in 1986 by the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Christian Health Association of Kenya, has grown from operating out of a small warehouse in Ruaraka with 30 products to stocking more than 2,000 health products and technologies.
The organization now serves healthcare facilities across all 47 counties and has more than 10,000 clients.
Its WHO-prequalified Quality Control Laboratory has supported quality assurance activities in more than 46 countries and analyzed about 2,350 samples in 2025.
MEDS also says its health systems strengthening programmes reach more than 20,000 healthcare workers annually.
The new MEDS-Strathmore Supply Chain Academy is expected to build on this work by strengthening skills in healthcare supply-chain management.
Duale urged MEDS to maintain its focus on quality while investing in systems and skills needed to meet future healthcare demands.
“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,” said Nandama.
join