The Kenyan government has established a facility to manufacture Covid-19 vaccines locally in Nairobi’s Embakasi area.
President Uhuru Kenyatta said the company will be known as the Kenya Biovax Limited. He said plans are in motion to start vaccine production by Easter next year.
“The Ministry of health should operationalise this company to eventually manufacture vaccines in our country by Easter next year,” he said.
The factory is a fill-and-finish facility before the country sets up a full-scale manufacturing plant by 2024.
A fill and finish facility enables third parties to put ready-made vaccines into vials, seal, and pack them for distribution.
President Kenyatta noted that the pandemic has exposed the lack of manufacturing facilities both in Kenya and other African countries.
According to National Covid-19 Vaccine Deployment Plan, the manufacturing plant will also produce other vaccines, such as the polio drops.
The facility will be built at the former Kemsa depot in Embakasi
