Turkana County has emerged as the top county in health commodities management, earning the highest honours in the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) FY2024/2025 performance evaluation.
The evaluation, focused on the health products and technologies (HPT) supply chain comprising quantification, ordering, commodity management, debt processing, and customer relations, named Turkana as the best-performing county in the Rift Valley region.
The county processed orders worth Sh 264.9 million in medical supplies, the highest in the region, followed closely by Mandera with orders amounting to Sh 250.9 million in the financial year 2024/2025.
Turkana also ranked second nationally for debt payment, standing at a 67% repayment rate in a category led by Mandera with a percentage rating of 72%.
Additionally, Turkana County Pharmacist Dr. Brian Muyokani received recognition for best-performing HPT Manager, a feat that Chief Officer for Medical Services Dr. Gilchrist Lokoel described as a show of faith in Turkana’ healthcare workers high level of professionalism.
Chief Officer Lokoel attributed the success to a combination of strategic planning, dedicated staff, and strong political goodwill from the county’s top leadership under the tutelage of Governor Jeremiah Lomorukai.
According to the chief officer, the trajectory of performance picked up after Governor Lomorukai elevated the HPT section from a unit to a fully-fledged directorate through an executive order.
The elevation created a platform for better management of healthcare product supplies and established structures running from the director to the facility-level pharmacist.
In this regard, the directorate has strengthened the supply chain system with more efficient and resilient interventions that directly respond to the needs of the Turkana population.
The structure has been critical in ensuring effective management of the supply system.
“This recognition is the fruit of deliberate efforts by Governor Lomorukai through the Department of Health and Sanitation to ensure round-the-clock availability of medical supplies across all facilities,” said Dr. Lokoel.
He further attributed the success to measures put in place for publicly announcing flag-offs of medical supplies and setting up a hotline for reporting cases of diversion, theft, or misuse by the public.
“When our staff and systems are recognised through independent national evaluations, it affirms that our strategies are not just in motion but making a measurable impact. “Congratulations to Dr. Muyokani, the HPT unit, and the entire Turkana health sector,” he appreciated.
The chief officer divulged plans by the department to use the performance benchmarks as a foundation for further improvements in health service delivery while continuously borrowing from other successful models from other best performers.
By Peter Gitonga
