Development of National Quality Control Laboratory Project
National Quality Control Laboratory was first conceived in 1978 following a request by the then Director of medical services to the then Chief Pharmacist to look into the possibilities of improving drug control activities through the development of a quality control laboratory.

Since the Ministry of Health did not at the time have the resources to establish its own such facility, the Drug Analysis and Research Unit was established as an interim measure at the School of Pharmacy, University of Nairobi.

The Ministry's contribution was in terms of personnel (pharmacists and pharmaceutical technologists) posted to work in DARU as analysts.

All the equipment under his arrangement belonged to the University and activities to date was been supported entirely by the School of Pharmacy University of Nairobi through a budget meant primarily for training. Up until this financial year, the Ministry had never allocated funds for quality control and this had become a bone of contention because of the high costs of chemicals, reagents and maintenance of equipment.

In 1993 - 1994 GTZ came in agreement with the Kenyan Government to equip the lab and renovate the facility that the lab was using.

From 1994 - 1999 the lab was being run by GTZ and Government under the leadership of the then Director. The full operation of the lab was later handed over to the Government where by since then there has been a significance improvement in the lab. The Lab use to be operated with a number of 4 personnel and now the number has grown to 27 professional employees which has led the lab to achieve credits, e.g World Health Organization Certification(WHO).