An audit report has exposed widespread drug theft in county hospitals, with cartels diverting supplies to private pharmacies and clinics.

According to Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu, the report for the year ending June 2024 shows that several counties lack proper internal controls to monitor drug stock and movement, leaving room for rogue health workers to steal medical supplies.

The affected counties include Wajir, Nakuru, Mandera, Garissa, Tana River, Kiambu, Vihiga, Nyandarua, and Bomet.

In Wajir, drugs worth Sh156.2 million were procured, but only Sh58.2 million was supported by store records. “Instead,” the report noted, “inventory records are maintained manually in physical files by the stores staff.”

Garissa spent Sh108 million on drugs from the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa), yet deliveries were not recorded in store ledgers. An additional Sh26 million worth of drugs was procured from a local supplier without supporting documents.

Tana River’s Hola Level Four Hospital lacked an electronic inventory system, while Nakuru had no inventory management system. Bomet County procured drugs worth Sh103.1 million but failed to provide inspection or acceptance reports.

Vihiga Level Four Hospital received Sh19 million worth of supplies, managed via an Information Management System. However, no annual reports were produced to verify deliveries.

Kiambu County also failed to provide inspection reports for drugs purchased for over Sh90 million.

Rampant drug theft has plagued counties for years. In Nakuru and Kericho, stolen drugs have ended up in private clinics. The most affected in Kericho include the County Referral Hospital, Kapkatet, Londiani, Fort Ternan, Sigowet, Ainamoi, and Kipkelion sub-county hospitals.

“We are working on a system to tighten the noose around those involved in the crime,” said Governor Erick Mutai, who has reshuffled pharmacists and suspended some officers.

Dr Mutai has encountered patients suffering from drug shortages during unannounced visits to public hospitals in the region.