Kenya to Set Up Sh2 Billion Vaccine Manufacturing Plant in Nairobi

Kenya will spend Sh2 billion to put up a vaccine manufacturing plant announced by President Kenyatta during Mashujaa Day celebrations.

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said the company named Kenya Biovax Limited will be located in Nairobi’s Embakasi area and is expected to start operations in the next six months as a “fill and finish” plant under the Ministry of Health.

Kagwe noted that most of the funds will be used to acquire equipment to ensure Kenya, which has been relying on donations, has the capacity to manufacture its own vaccines.
 
“Given the experience we have had in last one year and the danger of dependency on other countries for vaccines, it’s pretty obvious that this is an investment that should have been made a long time ago,” Kagwe said during a media briefing on Friday.

He added: “We make animal vaccines but why we don’t human vaccines is a strange phenomenon.”

The establishment of Kenya Biovax Limited to manufacture COVID-19 vaccines was announced by President Kenyatta on Wednesday.

The president directed the Ministry of Health to operationalize the facility for the eventual manufacturing of homespun doses by Easter next year.

Kenya aims to have fully-fledged vaccine manufacturing capability by 2024, according to the National COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment Plan.