A high-stakes professional war has erupted between the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya (PSK) and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua following a viral video showing the politician purchasing medication in a manner that experts describe as reckless and legally questionable. What was intended to be a relatable public moment for the embattled leader has instead unmasked a systemic rot in how powerful elites bypass the nation’s stringent healthcare protocols.
The PSK has issued a scathing rebuke, insisting that medicines are not common commodities to be traded like household groceries. The pharmacists argue that the casual over-the-counter transaction depicted in the footage undermines years of public health advocacy against self-medication and unregulated drug sales.
By appearing to walk into a chemist and exit with potent pharmaceuticals without the visible rigor of a clinical prescription or professional consultation, Gachagua has inadvertently become the face of a dangerous backdoor medicine culture.
The twisted irony of this fallout is that while the former second-in-command seeks to project an image of a “man of the people,” he has triggered a regulatory nightmare. Professionals are now demanding an investigation into the facility involved, questioning whether the customer service provided to the elite overrides the Pharmacy and Poisons Act. This is no longer a simple PR blunder; it is a direct assault on the gatekeepers of the nation’s health.
The urgency of this backlash highlights a terrifying reality: if a leader of his stature can treat high-risk pharmaceuticals with such nonchalance, the battle against drug misuse in Kenya is in jeopardy. The PSK’s intervention serves as a final warning that a pharmacy is a clinical space, not a convenience store.
As the video continues to circulate, the medical community is making one thing clear: political clout does not grant immunity from the laws governing the dispensing of life-saving medicine.
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