… A representative from the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) reported that they delivered full protective gear to support sample collection and testing procedures. …
… Oluga welcomed Japan's commitment, saying the funding will be channelled through the State Department for Medical Services and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) to strengthen the country's vaccine research and manufacturing capacity. …
Chepso, Lagat crowned champions at inaugural KEMRI Cross Country Championships By Citizen Sports June 28, 2026 06:12 (EAT) Add as a Preferred Source on Google Follow us Follow on Whatsapp Follow on Google Follow on Twitter Audio By Vocalize Mercy Chepso and Kenneth Lagat were cro …
… ss in handling the disease, in critical areas, including isolation infrastructure, laboratory diagnostic capacity, a well-trained health workforce, surveillance systems, and emergency response logistics.Prof Matilu Mwau, a senior researcher at the Kenya Medical Research Institute …
… when samples were sent to South Africa or the United Kingdom due to limited testing capacity, today we can get results within six to eight hours,” she said.She added, “Kenya’s laboratory capacity is now very strong, particularly at the National Public Health Laboratory and KEMRI …
… Such programs comprise Ksh.19.1 billion for the Primary Healthcare Fund to finance front-line services, Ksh.6.4 billion for the vaccines programs and Ksh.45.3 billion for Referral Hospitals Ksh.3.1 billion will be used to support research at the Kenya Medical Research Institute w …
… To strengthen medical supply chains, the government has allocated Sh20.9 billion to the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA), while the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) is set to receive Sh3.1 billion to support health research and innovation. …
… Medical Services Principal Secretary Ouma Oluga went even further, telling the public that Kenya has "the highest isolation capacity" on the continent, and that KEMRI is "the fourth most prepared laboratory in the entire world." KEMRI itself backed that position, with officials c …
… #BudgetDay2026 pic.twitter.com/uaNSYvTwOA — KTN News (@KTNNewsKE) June 11, 2026 The Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) has been allocated Sh20.9 billion to improve the supply and distribution of essential medicines and health commodities.The Kenya Medical Research Institute …
… So far, the country has four national laboratories for Ebola testing: the National Public Health Laboratory, Kenya Medical Research Institute in Nairobi and Kisumu, and a mobile laboratory deployed at the Busia One-Stop Border Post“The Ministry has also identified 25 high-risk co …
Health authorities at the Malaba border post have intensified screening protocols following an Ebola virus outbreak declaration in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The border screens and clears between 1,500 to 2,000 people daily, with one suspected case recorded since screening began.
Health authorities at the Malaba border post have intensified screening protocols following an Ebola virus outbreak declaration in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The border screens and clears between 1,500 to 2,000 people daily, with one suspected case recorded since screening began.
Japan has committed KSh3 billion to support Kenya's local vaccine manufacturing programme, with the funding to be channelled through the State Department for Medical Services and KEMRI to strengthen research infrastructure and skills development.
Mercy Chepso and Kenneth Lagat were crowned champions at the inaugural KEMRI Cross Country Championships held at Eldoret Sports Club on Sunday, with Chepso winning the senior women's 10-kilometre race in 34:47.6 and Lagat claiming the senior men's race in 29:49.2. Organisers pledged to make the event an annual fixture aimed at promoting sports science, athlete health, and community engagement.
An Ebola quarantine facility planned at Laikipia Air Base has prompted health experts to assess Kenya's readiness to handle such outbreaks, with gaps identified in isolation infrastructure, laboratory capacity, workforce training, surveillance, and emergency logistics. Experts say the country has human resources expertise but requires better financing, research partnerships, technological integration, and responsive leadership, with some challenges requiring cultural and attitudinal shifts beyond technical solutions.
Kenya has recorded no confirmed Ebola cases despite heightened surveillance, according to the Public Health Principal Secretary. The government has tested about 90 samples, all negative, and intensified screening at major entry points including JKIA and six gazetted border crossings.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi presented Kenya's 4.8 trillion shilling national budget for 2026/27, with the largest allocation—784.5 billion shillings—going to education, alongside significant funding for security, health, agricultural transformation, and infrastructure to support the government's Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.
Kenya's Treasury has proposed a Sh177.2 billion allocation to the health sector in the 2026/27 financial year to accelerate Universal Health Coverage rollout and strengthen access to essential healthcare services. Major allocations include Sh19.1 billion for Primary Health Care Funds, Sh8.6 billion for UHC staff, Sh18.5 billion for disease prevention programmes, and Sh6.4 billion for vaccines and immunisation initiatives.
Kenya's government, backed by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, says the country is prepared to host an Ebola quarantine facility announced by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in late May; doctors' unions and a majority of Kenyans oppose the plan, with street protests resulting in at least one death and a High Court injunction filed.
The government has allocated Sh177.2 billion to the health sector in the 2026/27 budget, an increase of about Sh37.5 billion from the current financial year, with funding directed at advancing Universal Health Coverage, strengthening service delivery, and supporting programmes for communicable diseases, healthcare workforce development, and primary care.
The Ministry of Health says 56 samples from people with travel history to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda have tested negative for Ebola, and Kenya has screened more than 80,000 travellers with no confirmed cases as of June 5, 2026. The government has intensified preparedness measures including surveillance at points of entry and laboratory testing capacity.
President William Ruto, speaking during a state visit to South Africa, defended his decision to allow the United States to build an Ebola facility in Laikipia, saying it would be "inhuman" and irresponsible to reject a US-funded request to help manage regional health threats, citing US past support for Kenya's health infrastructure.
The Health Cabinet Secretary and Principal Secretary acknowledged the government should have better explained the proposed Kenya-US agreement to construct an Ebola isolation and testing facility at Laikipia Air Base. They pledged to improve communication on the project, which is funded by $1.7 billion from the United States, while defending President Ruto's decision to proceed.
President William Ruto has defended plans to establish a US-funded Ebola facility at Laikipia Air Base, saying the project is part of a long-standing health partnership between Kenya and the United States and will strengthen the country's disease surveillance and response capacity. The US-funded facility, which will cost about Sh1.7 billion, is intended to boost Kenya's ability to detect, isolate and manage infectious diseases, and would join 23 existing isolation and treatment centres across the country.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale defended the government's plan to establish a health facility in Laikipia in partnership with the United States, saying it is a military installation serving both Kenyan and American personnel in high-risk regions and forms part of Kenya's infectious disease preparedness strategy, not to import Ebola patients.
CS Aden Duale has defended Kenya's decision to allow the US to construct an Ebola laboratory at the Laikipia airbase to treat citizens, arguing it will strengthen the country's surveillance, diagnostic capacity, and emergency preparedness. The statement comes after Justice Patricia Nyaundi barred the project from continuing, with four cases challenging it filed by groups including the Katiba Institute and Law Society of Kenya.
Medical Services Principal Secretary Dr. Ouma Oluga has defended Kenya's capacity to handle Ebola cases amid reports of a possible arrangement whereby Americans exposed to Ebola in Africa may be sent to Kenya for treatment. Dr. Oluga said the country is well-equipped to manage infectious disease outbreaks and has strengthened its capacity, particularly following COVID-19 pandemic investments.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale confirmed that three suspected Ebola cases from individuals with recent travel history from the Democratic Republic of Congo have tested negative, and four additional contacts were also found negative. Kenya has intensified screening at border points and has no reported Ebola cases.
President William Ruto stated that the government has spent more than Ksh.28 billion in fuel stabilisation measures and tax relief to cushion Kenyans from the ongoing global fuel crisis, which he attributed to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and conflict involving Iran.
Health CS Aden Duale said tests on three individuals and four contacts suspected of Ebola came back negative. Kenya remains at elevated risk of importation due to regional connectivity, though no confirmed cases have been reported as of 21 May 2026.
Kenya's Ministry of Health has stepped up national surveillance and response measures following the World Health Organisation's declaration of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo as a public health emergency of international concern. The number of suspected cases in DRC and Uganda has risen to 600, with 139 suspected deaths, and Kenya remains free of the virus but faces concern over regional links through transport and cross-border movement.
Prof George Njoroge at Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital received the Greater Manchester Cancer Award 2026 alongside a UK team for advancing early detection of oesophageal cancer through a model combining community engagement, rapid pathology services, and genomic capacity.
Kenya has scaled up disease surveillance and emergency preparedness nationwide following a WHO declaration of Ebola as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where suspected cases and deaths have risen. The Health Cabinet Secretary confirmed Kenya remains Ebola-free but said the country has heightened screening at all points of entry, with at least 34,500 travellers screened as of May 18, 2026.
Health CS Aden Duale said Kenya has not recorded any Ebola cases linked to the Bundibugyo strain outbreak in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, but the government has activated enhanced surveillance and preparedness measures across the country given regional connectivity. The outbreak has killed at least 88 people across DRC and Uganda, with the WHO and Africa CDC declaring it a public health emergency.
Health researchers and energy experts warned at a regional climate forum in Nairobi that household air pollution from firewood, charcoal, and biomass fuels kills an estimated 27,000 people annually in Kenya, with deaths largely linked to respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses. Lawmakers called for urgent investments in clean cooking technologies across Africa, where nearly one billion people still rely on polluting fuels for daily cooking.
President William Ruto has said deliberate investment in science, technology and innovation is necessary for the country's prosperity and global competitiveness, and that continued education reforms and expansion of research and technology institutions are part of the government's strategy for national transformation. He made the remarks at State House after awarding charters to KAIST and KEMRI universities.
President William Ruto said deliberate investment in science, technology and innovation is the only path to Kenya's prosperity and global competitiveness. He awarded charters to the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), elevating them to specialised degree-awarding status as part of the government's strategy for national transformation.
President William Ruto has awarded university charters to the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), elevating them to full university status to strengthen Kenya's higher education and research capacity.
The Kenya Medical Research Institute is pushing for wider malnutrition screening and adoption of data at community level for policy interventions, using a newly developed tool.
President William Ruto has called for a fundamental overhaul of Africa's health systems, urging the continent to transition from reliance on foreign aid to becoming a driver of global health solutions. Speaking at the World Health Summit Regional Meeting 2026 in Nairobi, he noted that Africa bears more than 25 percent of the global disease burden but accounts for less than 3 percent of global health expenditure and produces less than 2 percent of the medicines and vaccines it consumes.