The county government of Kisumu has partnered with a US-based pharmaceutical company and Great Lakes University of Kisumu (GLUK) to put up a Sh.1.6 billion medicine manufacturing plant in the area.
Through the tripartite arrangement, Med Aditus Pharmaceutical is set to construct a state-of-the-art plant at the Great Lakes University of Kisumu (GLUK) to produce high-quality subsidized drugs.
Kisumu County Governor Prof. Anyang Nyong’o said the development was a culmination of three years of negotiations with the firm adding that the initiative was set to enhance access to high-quality medicine and address gaps in the supply chain.
Speaking in Kisumu during the signing of a concession agreement with the firm, Nyong’o said the project would also create employment opportunities and support the medical supplies ecosystem in western Kenya and nationally.
The company whose construction is expected to kick off soon, he said will be producing 2 billion tablets annually at a highly subsidised cost enhancing access to the commodities for underserved communities.
This, he added would reduce dependence on imports, improve supply chain security and increase resilience to shocks and disruptions in the face of emerging and re-emerging diseases.
The facility, he said would also enhance research and training in partnership with GLUK to build highly qualified human resources in the pharmaceutical sector.
“It will foster innovation, training, and research in the pharmaceutical sector contributing to the achievement of Universal Health Coverage and the national agenda on manufacturing,” he said.
The county government, he added has provided land, infrastructure, and incentives to the investor to ensure that the project takes off as scheduled.
“The decision to bring this company here is a big endorsement for Kisumu and a strong statement that Kisumu is becoming a city of choice for both local and international investments,” he said.
Med Aditus President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dhiren Thakker said the initiative was informed by the company’s desire to enhance access to medicine for underserved patients in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The state-of-the-art pharmaceutical, he said would leverage on technology to guarantee steady and continuous production of drugs.
This, he added was set to transform the ecosystem of medicine manufacturing in the country and ensure that patients have access to high quality and affordable supplies.
“The modular continuous manufacturing technology we are bringing to Kisumu is going to be the first one of its kind in Africa. Africa is going to be a leader in this technology and ensure that people have access to affordable medicine which they can trust,” he said.
The technology, he added was backed up by a blockchain-powered data architecture and quality management system which will greatly improve the county, national, regional, and continental supply of pharmaceutical products.
“We are going to create and maintain data with integrity which we shall be sharing with all the stakeholders to help transform the pharmaceutical manufacturing ecosystem,” he said.
By Chris Mahandara
