The government has inked a deal with the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), a boost for its plans for local manufacturing of vaccines to manage endemic diseases such as Rift Valley Fever, T 

This comes at a time the World Health Organisation (WHO) has proposed the reduction of its 2026–2027 budget from $5.3 billion to $4.2 billion (Sh684 billion to Sh542 billion), with some countries even calling for even deeper cuts. 

On the margins of World Health Assembly (WHA) 78, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale held a bilateral engagement with Dr Jerome Kim, IVI Director General, to explore strategic partnerships aimed at advancing vaccine research, development, and manufacturing in Africa. 

He emphasised Kenya’s ambition to position itself as a regional hub for vaccine production and highlighted key collaborative proposals. Central to these discussions was the development of a joint vaccine research initiative under the Africa Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA) and Africa Vaccine Expertise Collaboration (AVEC) platforms. 

Endemic diseases 

“Kenya seeks IVI’s partnership to co-develop and co-lead at least two proposal submissions by the end of 2025, focusing on vaccines targeting endemic diseases such as Rift Valley Fever, Chikungunya, and Dengue,” the CS is reported to have said. 

Duale has also proposed the establishment of a Regional Biomanufacturing Workforce Development Centre of Excellence, which seeks to serve as a core facility for training and capacity building, incorporating simulation laboratories, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)-aligned training programs, and practical apprenticeship modules. 

“The government requests IVI’s technical expertise and support in mobilising resources and designing the centre by the end of 2025,” Duale said. 

The CS is also understood to have highlighted the importance of expanding representation in the Global Training Hub for Biomanufacturing (GTH-B). 

While appreciating the existing capacity-building efforts, Duale urged the Institute to increase its training quota to include at least five participants per cycle, prioritising candidates from Kenya Biovax, regulatory agencies, and academic institutions to bolster the country’s biomanufacturing workforce. 

“Similarly, with the pending finalisation of the Host Country Agreement (HCA) between IVI and the Kenyan government, we discussed immediate collaborative actions,” he noted. 

Some of the areas of cooperation, according to the CS, include identification of quick-win activities such as site assessments, joint missions, and technical secondments within 60 days of signing the agreement, to demonstrate commitment and accelerate progress.