According to a report published by the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration, Kenya is a promising market for medical devices. Kenya has been ranked as one of the fastest growing markets in the sub-Saharan Africa region.
Most medical devices are imported with domestic production focused on basic consumable items and PPE following the pandemic. Imported devices may be new or refurbished if they comply with local standard and regulatory requirements.
Demand for medical devices remains high, as many healthcare facilities require modernization. In both the public and private sector, there is a demand for affordable high quality medical devices. As for the private sector, there is a steady demand for western standard therapeutic and diagnostic equipment.
Over half of Kenya’s healthcare services are provided by the public sector, through the Ministry of Health (MOH) and other government funded bodies. These services are supplemented by those offered in hospitals and clinics that are operated by private companies, NGOs, faith-based organizations, plus emergency ambulance and disaster relief services offered by the Kenyan Red Cross. Healthcare funding is heavily supported by multilateral donor partners through USAID and CDC.
The Kenyan government significantly increased total spending in the healthcare sector as a result of the pandemic. In the recently passed Kenya National Budget 2021/2022, the government allocated $1.21 billion to the healthcare sector of which $39 million is for the procurement of COVID vaccines, and $95 million to engage COVID-19 specialists and to supply 28 hospitals with equipment.
Medical device procurement for both medical equipment and pharmaceuticals is done by the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA), a state corporation and a specialized medical logistics provider for the MOH.
Leading private sector hospital groups continue to invest in the latest most innovative equipment. Best prospects for diagnostic equipment include CT scanners, ultrasound units, x-ray equipment, MRI equipment, angiography, endoscopy, biochemistry, hematology and immunology systems, radiotherapy machines, electro-medical devices (x-ray machines, ultrasound scanners, and mammography units) and electrocardiographs.
Go to https://trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/kenya-healthcare-medical-devices for the report Kenya Country Commercial Guide for Healthcare-Medical Devices