NIJAMSS peer-reviewed article

Inventory Management Practices at Mbagathi County Referral Hospital, Kenya: Staff Perceptions and Service Delivery Implications

Chepkirui Cheruiyot Monica; Daniel A. Otwori

Abstract: Background: Continuous availability of medicines, equipment and other supplies depends on stock control, procurement, forecasting and supplier coordination. Objective: To describe staff perceptions of inventory management practices at Mbagathi County Referral Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya, as the third objective of a broader organizational-resources study. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey targeted 273 hospital employees. A stratified sample of 162 was planned, and 120 completed questionnaires were returned (74.1%). Five inventory management statements were summarized with means and standard deviations on a five-point agreement scale. Results: Effective stock control received the highest mean (M = 4.087, SD = 1.018). Respondents also rated timely procurement (M = 4.001, SD = 0.992) and infrequent stock-outs (M = 3.993, SD = 1.100) positively. Forecasting to prevent shortages and surplus stock (M = 3.856, SD = 0.921) and supplier coordination (M = 3.840, SD = 1.022) were rated lower. Conclusion: Staff generally reported favorable inventory practices, while forecasting and supplier coordination warrant management attention. These perceptions do not establish actual commodity availability or a measured association with operational performance.

Keywords: Hospital operations; Inventory management; Kenya; Procurement; Stock control; Supplier coordination

Journal

Nexus International Journal of Applied Science, Medicine and Social Sciences

e-ISSN

3144-2196

Publication date

August 2026

Volume / Issue

Vol. 1, Issue 2

Paper number

028

Article type

Original Research

Published paper ID

NIJAMSS-V1S2-AUG2026-028

Publisher

Nexus Academic Press

Access

Open Access

Full text PDF: https://www.nijamss.org/archives-download/nijamss-vol-1-series-2-august-2026-paper-028.pdf