KEMSA ARV Medicines Supply Tender KEMSA/GOK-MOH/OIT01/2026-2027 - closes 2026-10-27 10:00

What is being bought

Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) invites tenders for the supply of ARV (antiretroviral) medicines under reference KEMSA/GOK-MOH/OIT01/2026-2027, delivered DDP to KEMSA Warehouse, Nairobi. Quantities are set in the Bill of Quantities/Schedule of Requirements, which was not reviewed.

Key facts

Closing

Tue 27 Oct 2026, 10:00 am
Tenders must be deposited on or before 27 October 2026 at 10.00 a.m. at the Embakasi Supply Chain Centre. D2 p.1

Bid / tender security

Original Bid Security of KES 7,000,000.00 (or equivalent in freely convertible currency) from commercial banks or insurance companies approved by IRA and listed by PPRA; electronic securities accepted, authenticated by QR scanner; valid 240 days from tender closing/opening date. D2 p.34

Tender fee

Tender documents may be downloaded free of charge from the KEMSA website or PPIP portal; registration with procurement office advised. D2 p.4

Site visit

Not stated in the documents we reviewed Not stated P

Pre-bid meeting

Not stated in the documents we reviewed Not stated P

Reserved for

Not stated in the documents we reviewed Not stated P

Contract value

Not stated in the documents we reviewed Not stated P

Tender opening

Tenders opened publicly immediately after the deadline in the Tender Opening Hall, Ground Floor Office Block, KEMSA National Supply Chain Centre, Embakasi. Tenderers' representatives may attend. D2 p.33

Tender validity

Tender validity is 210 days from the tender closing/opening date. D2 p.33

Who can apply

• Tenderers may be individual firms or joint ventures (JV); a JV may have a maximum of 2 members. Foreign tenderers are defined as firms not registered in Kenya or with less than 51 percent Kenyan ownership; a JV may not subcontract more than 10 percent of the contract price to foreign firms. D2 p.33
• Goods must be registered with the Pharmacy & Poisons Board in Kenya. D2 p.34

Application checklist

Tick items off as you prepare. Your ticks stay on this device only.

Required from every bidder

• Certificate of Incorporation/Registration. D2 p.42
• Valid and current Tax Compliance Certificate (mandatory for local bidders). D2 p.42
• Tender form on letterhead showing complete name and business address, duly completed and signed, with Eligibility Confidential Business Questionnaire, Certificate of Independent Tender Determination, and self-declarations (not debarred under PPADA 2015, no corrupt practice, code of ethics). Power of attorney where applicable. D2 p.42
• Products prequalified by WHO Prequalification and/or authorised by a Stringent Regulatory Authority, with WHO Prequalification reference and/or SRA registration or USFDA approval reference number in the technical tender. D2 p.42
• Current and valid Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certificate from an independent regulatory authority. D2 p.43
• Pharmacy and Poisons Board product registration or Product Retention Certificate with QR codes; for prior-year products, alternatively product registration certificate, 2026 retention fee receipt and evidence of passing sample screening. D2 p.43
• Current and valid Manufacturing License. D2 p.43
• A sample of each product (one pack per item) submitted at or before the closing date, labelled with tenderer name, tender reference and product identification, plus certificate of analysis from the manufacturer's lab for the same batch. D2 p.33

Required only in some situations

• Manufacturers Authorization on manufacturer's letterhead, addressed to KEMSA, tender and item specific, signed by authorised signatory (applies to bidders who are not manufacturers). D2 p.42
• Wholesale dealers licence with QR codes (local bidders). D2 p.43
• Superintendent Pharmacist practising licence with QR codes (local bidders). D2 p.43

Experience, licences and financial capacity

Technical

• Products must meet pharmacopoeia standards (International, British, US, European, manufacturer specifications, or other PPB-recognised); new drugs not in a pharmacopoeia need testing protocols and reference standards. Labels and inserts in English; storage conditions on labels; remaining shelf life at arrival at KEMSA warehouse at least 75%. D2 p.33
• Samples are evaluated on Yes/No basis for physical properties, packaging and labelling; failure leads to rejection. D2 p.43

Financial

• Bidder must express bid price in Kenya Shillings with max two decimal points; failure leads to disqualification. Price includes all levies and taxes including Public Procurement Capacity Building Levy of 0.03% of signed contract value. D2 p.43
• Post-qualification (if not prequalified) may require liquid assets/financial means sufficient for cash flow, minimum average annual turnover, and number of similar contracts; the amounts are blank in the template and not stated. Not stated D2 p.40

How and where to submit

• Submit one original and one copy in a single sealed envelope containing separately sealed ORIGINAL and COPIES envelopes; outer envelope addressed to KEMSA CEO, marked with tender number and description. Physical deposit in Tender Box No. 1 at the Reception, Ground Floor, KEMSA Embakasi Supply Chain Centre, Nairobi. Electronic and late bids not accepted. Tenders must be serialized/paginated with a signed declaration of number of pages. D2 p.4
• Tenderers shall not have the option of submitting tenders electronically. D2 p.34
• Tender documents must be paginated in continuous ascending order from first page to last (mandatory). D2 p.42
• Tender security addressed to The Chief Executive Officer, KEMSA, National Supply Chain Centre, Embakasi Off Airport North Road, P.O. Box 47715-00100, Nairobi. D2 p.5

Lots and categories

• Lot 1: One lot (1 item). Tenderers may tender for one or more lots if multiple lots applied. D2 p.32

What the addenda changed

• No addenda reviewed. Not stated P

Not covered in the documents we reviewed

• Bill of quantities / schedule of requirements with quantities and delivery dates (Section V)
• Full Section VII special conditions and payment terms
• Addenda, if any, issued after 2026-10-16
• Contract value estimate
• Tender-specific financial thresholds (turnover, number of similar contracts)
• Tender Opening date-time confirmation from portal addenda

Terms explained

ARV

Antiretroviral medicines used to treat HIV.

TDS

Tender Data Sheet: tender-specific values that override the Instructions to Tenderers.

Tender security

Guarantee or cash deposit submitted with the bid, forfeited if the bidder withdraws or fails to sign.

Responsive

Bid that meets all mandatory requirements without material deviation.

JV

Joint venture of two or more firms bidding together.

DDP

Delivered Duty Paid: supplier pays delivery and import duties to the named place.

Pharmacy & Poisons Board (PPB)

Kenyan regulator licensing pharmaceutical products and dealers.

WHO Prequalification

WHO assessment confirming a medicine meets quality standards for UN procurement.

AGPO

Affirmative action preference for youth, women and persons with disability; not applied to this tender per material reviewed.