USAID Inspector General dismantles Kenyan pharmacy network selling stolen and expired medicines
The USAID Office of Inspector General conducted a raid in Kenya that led to two arrests, the shutdown of four pharmacies and the seizure of thousands of stolen or expired medical products.
The United States Agency for International Development’s Office of Inspector General launched a targeted investigation in Kenya that exposed a network selling stolen, expired or counterfeit medical supplies. The operation resulted in two arrests, eleven people being summoned for additional legal steps and the closure of a minimum of four pharmacies linked to the scheme. Investigators seized thousands of products, including more than 2,000 co-trimoxazole antibiotic tablets and numerous defective or expired capsules and test strips.
The OIG believes some of the diverted items originated from U.S.-funded foreign assistance and United Nations health initiatives, with intentions to move them to other countries. Former USAID Inspector General Jonathan Schofield highlighted the broader issue of organized theft of malaria and AIDS drugs across Africa, noting past arrests and indictments that have disrupted similar operations. Following the bust, the OIG is working with African administrators to strengthen safeguards against future thefts.
Why it matters
It protects taxpayer-funded medicines from reaching patients as unsafe or counterfeit drugs.
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