US Offers Sh5.3 Billion to Kenya to Help Address Covid-19 Crisis

The US has boosted Kenya’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic with additional funding of $50 million (Sh5.3 billion).

The grant provided through the US Agency for International Development (USAID) is aimed at helping the country address the challenges posed by the pandemic, according to the American ambassador to Kenya Kyle McCarter.

“The American people have always been generous to those in need around the world, and today Kenya is facing the compound challenges of COVID-19, flooding, and locusts.”

“We are focusing on ensuring resources get to the counties and communities because Kenya’s communities are Kenya’s greatest asset in overcoming these challenges,” McCarter said on Wednesday.

Sh610 million will go towards supporting distance learning among school-going learners, employment creation in emerging areas, and citizen-responsive governance.

“US funds directly benefit Kenyans. We partner with the Kenyan government, NGOs, civil society, and local organizations and institutions to support the Kenyan people. The U.S. requires our partners to adhere to rigorous reporting requirements and standards,” said USAID Mission Director Mark Meassick.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in Kenya in mid-March, the USAID has facilitated the training of nearly 2,000 healthcare workers. The agency has also distributed over 270,000 posters bearing information on Covid-19 prevention and symptoms.