Kisumu is poised to become a major pharmaceutical production hub in East Africa after global firm Med Aditus confirmed it plans to build a Ksh6.3 billion ($48.7 million) drug manufacturing plant in the city.

The plans are said to have reached an advanced stage, paving the way for construction to begin early next year.

The facility will stand on land adjacent to the Great Lakes University of Kisumu (GLUK) and is being developed in partnership with the Kisumu County government and the university.

The project is viewed as one of the largest private health sector investments ever undertaken in the western region, where access to affordable medicines remains a persistent challenge for both public and private hospitals.

Kisumu County Anyang’ Nyong’o, who on Monday held a meeting with Med Aditus CEO Dhiren Thakker, Med Aditus Foundation CEO Bob Blouin, head of the World Bank Group’s Health Africa Initiative Khama Rogo and senior county officials over the project said the plant will play a significant role in reducing the cost of essential drugs and strengthening healthcare systems across the Great Lakes Region.

He said the county’s planning, environmental and technical approvals were already in place, and the remaining processes were being finalised before construction equipment moves to the ground. The factory, he said was expected to manufacture up to two billion tablets and capsules every year.

The product line, he added, will include treatment for hypertension, diabetes and cancer – conditions whose burden continues to rise across Kenya – as well as essential drugs for HIV, malaria and tuberculosis. It will also produce medication for neglected tropical diseases, which remain common in rural and low-income populations in the region.

Currently, Kenya imports more than 70 per cent of its essential medicines, a factor that often makes drugs expensive, vulnerable to stock-outs and exposed to global supply chain disruptions.

Med Aditus and the county government are banking on the Kisumu plant to help close the gap by supplying high-quality pharmaceuticals at subsidised prices that will reduce pressure on hospitals and enabling governments to procure drugs locally rather than from overseas suppliers.

Nyong’o said the project was being financed primarily through Afreximbank under the Africa Health Security Investment Plan, a continental programme aimed at building Africa’s capacity to manufacture its own health products.

The governor said the investment aligns with the county’s broader agenda of attracting biomedical and life sciences industries.

Kisumu is already home to the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) and several private diagnostic laboratories, positioning the city as a growing centre of medical innovation.

Med Aditus CEO Dhiren Thakker and Med Aditus Foundation CEO Bob Blouin toured the proposed site together with Khama Rogo, the head of the World Bank Group’s Health Africa Initiative, who has been pushing for stronger local drug production across the continent.

The delegation was accompanied by senior county executives, including Chief Officer for Health Ojwang’ Lusi, Chief Officer for Lands Victor Kanyaura and Director of Medical Service Don Ogolla.

The partnership with Great Lakes University will give the plant access to a pool of pharmaceutical researchers, public health experts, students and other technical staff. It will also enable advanced training programmes, internships and a pipeline of graduates equipped for work in the pharmaceutical industry.

GLUK is expected to support product testing, clinical research and pharmaceutical technology development in the coming years.

The facility will create hundreds of direct jobs for residents, including pharmacists, quality control officers, engineers, chemists, machine technicians, laboratory scientists and administrative staff.

Cost of essential drugs is expected to drop once the plant begins local manufacturing and bulk distribution bringing to an end the struggles public hospitals have previously undergone with delayed deliveries from overseas suppliers.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Chris Mahandara