By Jeff Kizzilah
Dr. Wesley Rono, Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya BioVax Institute and KEMRI Director General Prof. Elijah Songok/photo
Kenya must urgently invest in local vaccine manufacturing to safeguard itself against future disease outbreaks, health sector leaders have said, warning that continued overreliance on imports poses a serious national risk.
Speaking during the 16th KASH Conference in Nairobi, Dr. Wesley Rono, Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya BioVax Institute, said the country must begin producing its own vaccines to ensure long-term health security.
“It is time we start producing our own vaccines to avoid future outbreaks,” Dr. Rono said, noting that Kenya currently imports about 99 per cent of the vaccines used locally, a situation he described as unsustainable and risky.Dr. Rono emphasized the need for Kenya to build manufacturing capacity across the entire vaccine value chain, starting from basic processes and gradually scaling up to more advanced production systems. He added that reforms in the financial system and increased investment would be critical in supporting this transition.
According to Dr. Rono, developing local vaccine manufacturing will require significant monetary investment, skilled human resources, and strong institutional capacity, but Kenya is well-positioned due to its growing network of partners.“We have partners such as UNICEF, which already procures large volumes of vaccines. It is important to ensure that what we manufacture locally is supported and taken up by development partners,” he said.
Echoing the call, KEMRI Director General Prof. Elijah Songok said Kenya has the scientific and technical capacity needed to support vaccine manufacturing.“As KEMRI, we have capacity locally, and we also have access to global expertise that can help strengthen skills in key areas,” Prof. Songok said, adding that starting with basic vaccine manufacturing processes would not only strengthen health systems but also create new opportunities for research, innovation, and employment.
Dr. Tom Kariuki, Chief Executive Officer of the Science for Africa Foundation,
Also present at the conference, Dr. Tom Kariuki, Chief Executive Officer of the Science for Africa Foundation, said Kenya has sufficient innovation potential and must take deliberate steps to turn that innovation into practical manufacturing outcomes.“As a country, we have enough innovation. What we need is to start from the basics and build steadily,” Dr. Kariuki said.
The leaders agreed that building local vaccine manufacturing capacity is critical for health security, economic growth, and regional resilience, positioning Kenya as a key player in Africa’s vaccine ecosystem.
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