Table of Contents
Crown Healthcare, a Nairobi-based medical distribution company led by Kenyan entrepreneur Shilen Thakerar, has landed a $10 million investment to fund the construction of a large-scale pharmaceutical manufacturing facility. The funding, from Impact Fund Denmark, comes at a key moment as Kenya works to expand local drug production and reduce imports.
Strengthening local pharmaceutical production
Once operational, the new plant will enable Crown Healthcare to evolve into a fully integrated manufacturer of essential generic medicines from just a medical distributor. This will cut down on lead times, strengthen domestic supply chains and ease access to high-quality products in both public and private healthcare providers in Kenya and the region.
Impact Fund Denmark said the investment fits its mission to support healthcare manufacturing in emerging markets and strengthen resilience against global supply chain disruptions. The project, which spans production, logistics, quality assurance, and technical roles, is set to create roughly 600 jobs.
Cutting import dependency and tackling counterfeit drugs
Approximately 80 percent of Kenya's pharmaceuticals are currently imported. As a result, hospitals and clinics are vulnerable to delays in supply, fluctuating costs, and the risk of counterfeit medicines.
By scaling up local production, Crown Healthcare hopes to reduce these risks while giving regulators and healthcare providers better oversight over drug quality. Counterfeit medicines remain a major concern in Africa, with antibiotics, antimalarials, antiretrovirals, and painkillers frequently counterfeited.
A turning point for Crown Healthcare
Founded in 1998, Crown Healthcare’s strong presence in Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda has accelerated its business operations in medical supply distribution before expanding into branded generics. The new manufacturing facility represents the company’s most ambitious growth initiative yet, signaling its transition to a regional pharmaceutical producer.
The investment reflects growing confidence that pharmaceutical manufacturing in Africa can be commercially sustainable while generating positive social impact. If everything proceeds as planned, Crown Healthcare could significantly contribute to Kenya's progress towards medicine self-sufficiency and establish itself as a regional pharmaceutical leader.
