History

The Government Chemist was set up in 1912 as an independent section of the National Public Health Laboratories in the Ministry of Health, to offer forensic and analytical laboratory services.

It was transferred to the Office of the President in March 1976, and moved back to the Ministry of Health in 1999.

Today the Government Chemist is domiciled in the State Department for Internal Security and National Administration, in the Ministry of Interior and National Administration.

To bring services closer to the people, the department operates from its headquarters in Nairobi and regional centres in Mombasa, Kisumu and Marsabit.