Brazen Heist Exposes Supply Chain Vulnerabilities

NAIROBI – Police in Narok County have launched a major investigation into the hijacking of a Ministry of Health vehicle and the theft of its entire cargo of medical supplies. The driver was drugged during the incident on Thursday evening and later found abandoned nearly 200 kilometers away in Bomet County, sparking alarm over the security of vital government medical deliveries. The incident, which began in the town of Kilgoris, is the latest in a series of thefts that highlight a growing crisis of pilferage and organized crime targeting Kenya's healthcare system.

The Incident: A Coordinated Attack

According to preliminary police reports, the driver of the four-wheel-drive vehicle had stopped for refreshments at an establishment in Kilgoris on Thursday evening, November 6, 2025. While there, he was approached by a stranger. Investigators believe the driver's drink was spiked during their conversation. The suspect then reportedly convinced the driver to give him a lift, during which the driver lost consciousness. He was discovered the next day at Kipkebe Tea Plantation in Sotik, Bomet County, with his hands and legs bound. The vehicle, its cargo of drugs, and the driver's personal belongings were all missing. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment after providing a statement to the police. As of Tuesday, November 11, 2025, neither the vehicle nor the medical supplies have been recovered. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REQUIRED.

A National Crisis of Medical Theft

This hijacking is not an isolated event but symptomatic of a deeply rooted problem plaguing Kenya's health sector. For years, reports from the Office of the Auditor-General have detailed widespread theft and mismanagement of medical supplies in county hospitals, often facilitated by weak, manual inventory systems. These systemic failures create opportunities for corruption, allowing essential medicines to be siphoned into the black market. Patients across the country frequently face shortages at public facilities, forcing them to purchase potentially life-saving drugs from private chemists at high costs. The Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) has previously uncovered syndicates involved in the unlawful distribution of stolen government drugs, seizing large quantities from unlicensed chemists and making dozens of arrests.

High-Value Targets: From HIV Drugs to Donor Aid

The stolen goods often include high-value, donor-funded commodities. Investigations have previously exposed the theft and resale of USAID-funded HIV-related medications, which are meant to be distributed for free. In October 2025, the United States government charged a Kenyan national for allegedly conspiring to steal millions of shillings worth of USAID-funded HIV test kits from the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA). Corruption has also targeted large-scale donations, including a notorious 2020 scandal where medical supplies donated by the Jack Ma Foundation to fight the COVID-19 pandemic disappeared, believed to have been sold on the black market.

Calls for Systemic Overhaul and Accountability

The recurring thefts have intensified calls for an urgent overhaul of the security protocols governing the transportation and storage of medical supplies. While KEMSA states its distribution fleet is fitted with tracking devices, this incident raises questions about the effectiveness of current measures for last-mile deliveries. Security experts and health advocates argue for the mandatory implementation of digital inventory systems, real-time tracking from warehouse to clinic, and stricter vetting of personnel. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is now leading the probe into the Kilgoris heist. However, the agency has faced criticism in the past for the slow pace of investigations into stolen government vehicles, with some cases remaining unresolved for years. The Ministry of Health and KEMSA have yet to release an official statement detailing the specific type and value of the stolen drugs or the health facilities that were the intended recipients. DETAILS UNCONFIRMED. This lack of transparency further fuels public concern that without decisive action to dismantle these criminal networks, from the hijackers on the road to the colluders within the system, Kenyan patients will continue to pay the ultimate price.