Health Cabinet Secretary Hon. Aden Duale held a high-level meeting with a Chinese delegation led by Ambassador Ms. Guo Haiyan to explore a strategic partnership aimed at establishing local vaccine and pharmaceutical production hubs in Kenya. The initiative, valued at USD 500 million, is expected to leverage Chinese technology to bolster Kenya’s healthcare manufacturing capacity, enhance supply chain resilience, reduce reliance on imported medical products, and generate employment opportunities. The project aligns with Kenya’s broader development agenda and aims to position the country as a leader in health product manufacturing on the African continent by 2028.
During the engagement, Hon. Duale emphasized the transformative potential of the collaboration and highlighted it as a critical step toward a more self-reliant and innovative healthcare system. He welcomed China’s offer of 500 scholarships and 20 annual health exchange programs, viewing them as strategic investments in building Kenya’s future healthcare leadership. He further proposed that the partnership should serve as a platform for shifting from traditional donor dependency to a co-investment model that supports innovation and sustainability in the health sector.
The Cabinet Secretary provided an update on ongoing health sector reforms, including the operationalization of the Social Health Authority (SHA), which seeks to expand access to quality healthcare for all Kenyans. To ensure effective coordination and implementation of the proposed collaboration, he recommended the formation of a Kenya–China Health Cooperation Taskforce. This body would be responsible for aligning mutual priorities, fast-tracking the development and execution of Memoranda of Understanding, and monitoring progress on agreed projects.
Hon. Duale also expressed appreciation for China’s continued support through major technology firms such as Huawei, which have played a vital role in equipping rural health facilities and training thousands of healthcare workers across the country. He underscored that such collaborations have already begun yielding significant improvements in health service delivery and capacity building at the grassroots level.
Accompanying the Cabinet Secretary were the Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards, Ms. Mary Muthoni, and the Director-General for Health, Dr. Patrick Amoth. Their presence reinforced the government’s commitment to high-level engagement with global partners in advancing Kenya’s healthcare goals and realizing the country’s ambitions of becoming a regional center for medical research, innovation, and production.
