BARONGO: Just as an introduction—though we've already introduced ourselves—my name is Barongo Teya, and this is OGITA Productions. We are creating a documentary on the development of pharmacy practice and training in the country. We appreciate you taking the time to join us. Please introduce yourself, tell us your name, where you studied, and how you trained to become a pharmacist.
DR. WILBERFORCE OMUTAI WANYANGA: My name is Dr. Wilberforce Omutai Wanyanga. I’m a pharmacist, graduated in November 1981 from the University of Nairobi School of Pharmacy. I've been in practice since then, starting in government hospitals under the Ministry of Health. I worked as Chief Pharmacist at Kenyatta National Hospital, then in charge of the Medical Stores Coordinating Unit. Later, I joined House and McGeorge in manufacturing. When the company closed, I moved to Cosmos Limited and eventually founded PharmaQ Limited, a consulting firm, in 2005.
BARONGO: Let’s take a step back to when you were still a student at UoN. What are some of the memorable things you can share with us about studying at the University of Nairobi?
DR. WILBERFORCE OMUTAI WANYANGA: We were green, we didn’t know where we were going, but we knew that we were in the right profession. A small class, but exciting. I was a little bit naughty, so they made me the chairman of the Nairobi University Pharmacy Students Association, a post I held until graduation in 1979/80. One memorable trip we made was to Nakuru Pyrethrum Board on the university bus called Concorde. A classmate was chasing another across the bus seats—and they later got married! That trip produced a marriage.
BARONGO: That’s really interesting. After graduation, how did you see the interaction and quality of work among UoN-trained pharmacists in the positions you held?
DR. WILBERFORCE OMUTAI WANYANGA: It was quite a turnaround. I started as an intern in hospital and retail pharmacy. One time at a retail pharmacy, a man brought a prescription for birth control pills. I questioned him—he said the medicine was for him! It turned out he was hypertensive and had been given the wrong prescription. He thanked me later for saving his life. At the provincial hospital in Nyeri, on my first day, the pharmacist in charge had just lost her father. She handed me the keys and left. I didn’t know anything. An elderly support staff guided me—he couldn’t open the pharmacy himself, but he helped me locate medicines. It taught me the authority pharmacists carry.
Another time at Kenyatta National Hospital, I returned a prescription to a doctor because it would have caused serious side effects. The doctor was angry and reported me, but another consultant supported me. I was later congratulated for my diligence. This showed the importance of pharmacists in ensuring proper medication use.
BARONGO: Over the years, there have been developments in laws, policy, and the regulation of pharmacy practice in Kenya. Can you highlight some of the key changes and your role in shaping them?
DR. WILBERFORCE OMUTAI WANYANGA: When I started working, the registration of medicines was just beginning. It involved tedious paperwork. I helped coordinate registration committees and introduced coding systems still in use today. I was part of the team that initiated the National Quality Control Laboratory and helped amend Cap 244 to address medicine quality and compliance enforcement.
I promoted Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and led efforts to strengthen local manufacturing, initially resisted but now foundational. I helped start the Kenya National Pharmaceutical Policy and worked to educate stakeholders when it was first misunderstood. Eventually, it was adopted to improve medicine access, herbal integration, and industrial growth.
BARONGO: And how has the pharmaceutical industry connected with pharmacy training?
DR. WILBERFORCE OMUTAI WANYANGA: Initially, training focused on clinical aspects, and industrial pharmacy was downplayed. But with industrial growth and competition, many universities introduced industrial pharmacy. Though underfunded at first, it’s improving. I’ve also helped universities across East Africa and SADC strengthen pharma education.
Kenya used to rely on imports, but policies changed to require 50% local manufacturing. That spurred expansion of companies like Cosmos, Lab & Allied, and Regal. Later, with the rise of HIV, TB, and malaria treatments, local production grew. I coordinated Kenya’s PIC and UNIDO-led initiatives that raised local industry quality. Kenya became a model, and we developed the Kenya GMP Roadmap—now used across Africa.
We also pushed for medicine security and prequalification, helping local firms like Universal Health Corporation get WHO endorsement. I even led Kenya’s TRIPS negotiations, earning Cosmos the first voluntary ARV license.
BARONGO: What should today’s graduates expect in the field?
DR. WILBERFORCE OMUTAI WANYANGA: We need to revise the curriculum to include more industry-relevant content. Universities should partner with industry so practitioners can teach students earlier. Development and formulation research should be emphasized—even incremental improvements matter.
When Cosmos developed a triple therapy TB drug, it replaced a cocktail with a single tablet—this model later informed ARV design. Training must align with such innovation.
BARONGO: Can this integration between academia and industry happen soon?
DR. WILBERFORCE OMUTAI WANYANGA: It should have happened yesterday. The main issue is willpower and policy. Universities are rigid, but if medicine security becomes a national priority, changes will come fast. We urgently need a policy on medicine security—it’s still missing.
BARONGO: As a final thought, what’s your message to UoN pharmacy graduates and the profession at large?
DR. WILBERFORCE OMUTAI WANYANGA: Graduation isn’t the end—it’s the beginning. The field is wide open. See yourself as a seed ready to grow anywhere. Pursue discovery, innovation, and industrial practice. Don’t just chase PhDs—link with industry.
Push for a national medicine security policy. We must stop being dependent. Celebrate 50 years of UoN’s School of Pharmacy—but remember, it’s also a call to action. Let’s build on this strong foundation.
BARONGO: Thank you very much. That was the last question.
DR. WILBERFORCE OMUTAI WANYANGA: Thank you.
