Germany commits to fund Kenya’s Ebola response efforts
German Development Bank (KfW) has committed Ksh150 million (€1 million) to strengthen East Africa's response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak
The German Development Bank (KfW) has committed Ksh150 million (€1 million) to strengthen East Africa’s response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak, with Kenya among the countries set to benefit from the funding.
The East African Community (EAC) confirmed the allocation on June 4, stating that the funds will support the deployment of mobile laboratories, procurement of diagnostic supplies, and training of laboratory personnel across the region.
“The meeting further considered resource mobilization efforts to support the Ebola response. Ministers welcomed a commitment by Germany’s Development Bank (KfW) to reallocate €1 million to support the deployment of mobile laboratories, procurement of diagnostic supplies, and training of laboratory personnel,” the EAC said in a statement.
The commitment was announced during the 8th Extraordinary Meeting of EAC Ministers of Health, which was held virtually from June 1 to 2.
The meeting was convened to map out a coordinated regional response to a fast-evolving Ebola outbreak that has already claimed hundreds of lives in the region.
As of June 4, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) had recorded 121 confirmed cases and 1,077 suspected cases, with 246 deaths among suspected patients.
Uganda had also confirmed 11 cases, with one death recorded, raising alarm over the risk of wider cross-border transmission.
Kenya is among the EAC Partner States that have already received a German-funded mobile laboratory to facilitate rapid testing and detection of suspected Ebola cases.
The mobile laboratories were provided under the EAC Regional Network of Reference Laboratories Project through the same funding mechanism, with technical support from the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine.
Ten mobile laboratories are currently operational across the region, covering the DRC, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, and Tanzania.
Ruto sticks to chartered planes as presidential jet remains grounded in Netherlands
Court rejects bid to compel state to produce missing security analyst Mwenda Mbijiwe
Former Governor Rasanga declares Siaya Senate bid
Loreto Girls Limuru closed indefinitely after student unrest
In Kenya, President William Ruto has revealed that the country has 23 Ebola preparedness and isolation centres across the country, established to screen, isolate, and manage suspected cases as the region remains on high alert over the ongoing outbreak.
The facilities, spread across various counties, include Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) in Nairobi and Thika, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret, and Alupe Sub-County Hospital in Busia, among others.
Actual diagnostic testing, however, is handled separately by specialised Biosafety Level 3 laboratories managed by the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) and the National Public Health Laboratory.
In this regard, the government’s plan to host American Ebola-exposed patients at a 50-bed U.S.-backed quarantine facility at Laikipia Air Base has drawn protests and legal challenges, which President Ruto has defended as part of Kenya’s broader pandemic preparedness framework.
Alliance High School closed after fire incident
Government lifts suspension on registration of new SACCO societies
Some of the opposition leaders are in talks with government – Moses Kuria claims
We will not consult citizens on US Ebola facility – CS Duale
Follow us
