Nairobi, July 15 -- Kenya cut its spending on imported medicines by 23.52 percent in the first quarter of this year, marking the second consecutive year of decline, as the country accelerates its efforts to manufacture half of its essential drugs locally by the end of the year.

Between January and March 2026, Kenya spent Sh15.6 billion on medicinal and pharmaceutical products, down from Sh20.4 billion in the same time last year, a fall of Sh4.8 billion, according to the latest data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.

The decline in the import bill came despite import volumes rising by 13.1 percent to 8,632.2 tonnes from 7,632.1 tonnes a year earlier.

This fall could be attributed to several factors, including declining global...