The Kenya Pharmaceutical Association has asked its members to ignore the directive issued by Governor Alfred Mutua about the opening of pharmacies near public hospitals.
Proprietors of pharmacies affected by the directive have vowed to move to court and challenge Governor Mutua.
Led by their chairperson Janefrancis Katumbi, the pharmacists said the governor was wrong to order for the closure of their businesses. She said that he should instead deal with drug theft in public hospitals.
“We are doing legal businesses and we are located in places believed to have higher chances of getting customers. Mutua should act on his medical staff and others who work in government hospitals to ensure drugs are not stolen,” said Katumbi on Wednesday.
She said the pharmaceutical traders will soon move to court in a bid to force the county government to retract the directive.
“We have asked our lawyers to file a suit against the county government because that was an infringement of our rights as traders,” she added.
The chairperson of Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Machakos County chapter, Mutavi Kithu threatened to call for mass action involving all traders in Machakos County to protest the move.
“By forcing our members to relocate from their business premises, the governor has taken the tiger by the tail. We are giving him a 14-day ultimatum to withdraw the directive or we make Machakos ungovernable,” he said.
On Monday, Dr Mutua revoked trade permits of the said businesses accusing their owners of abetting corruption and theft of drugs from government hospitals.
The governor said the traders had refused to heed to a three-month notice urging them to relocate.
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