Watu Wamae

Introduction: African Industrial Development, Values and Health Care

This is a book about the industrial development of pharmaceutical production in Sub-Saharan Africa. Yet the values that drive this industrial enquiry are rooted in the needs of a subcontinent with the worst health status in the world. The central argument of this book is that industrial development in pharmaceuticals and the capabilities it generates are necessary elements in African initiatives to tackle these acute health care needs. A successful pharmaceutical industry is no guarantor of good health care: India indeed has managed to grow a highly successful industry while leaving many of its people without access to competent care. However, without the technological, industrial, intellectual, organizational and research-related capabilities associated with competent pharmaceutical production, the African subcontinent cannot generate the resources to tackle the needs and demands of its population.

Pharmaceuticals in Kenya: The Evolution of Technological Capabilities

As Chapter 1 briefly outlined, Kenya has a strong and long-standing pharmaceutical industry. A 2015 Business Monitor report on pharmaceutical manufacturing in Kenya states that the country hosts the largest pharmaceutical industrial base in East Africa. The report also sees a bright future as a ‘potential base for export across East Africa’ (BMI Research, 2015). This chapter locates the Kenyan pharmaceutical industry within the country’s historical context of industrial development and growth.