Kenya is set to establish local vaccine and pharmaceutical production hub through a joint initiative with the Chinese government that is valued at about KES65 billion. 

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale made the announcement on Monday after holding talks with a Chinese delegation led by Ambassador Guo Haiyan, where they discussed the rollout of the USD500 million (KES64.7 billion) project expected to position Kenya as a continental leader in health product manufacturing by 2028.

"The USD500 million transformative joint initiative seeks to strengthen Kenya’s supply chains, reduce import dependency, create employment in line with the government’s development agenda, and position Kenya as a continental leader in health product manufacturing," the Ministry stated.

Duale disclosed that China has also offered 500 scholarships and committed to funding 20 annual health exchange programs as a strategic investment in building Kenya’s future healthcare leadership.

The CS said the partnership seeks to strengthen local supply chains, reduce Kenya’s reliance on imports, and create new jobs in line with the government’s development agenda. 

At the same time he also sought China’s support in Kenya’s efforts to transition from donor-dependency to a co-
investment model in healthcare innovation. 

The CS briefed the delegation on the country’s ongoing health sector reforms, particularly the rollout of the Social Health Authority (SHA). He also proposed the creation of a Kenya–China Health Cooperation Taskforce to coordinate efforts, harmonize priorities and fast-track and monitor progress of agreements between the two countries.

Duale lauded China’s continued support through firms such as Huawei, which has equipped rural health centers with digital technology and trained thousands of health workers.

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