This archive report was first published on 3 July 2020.
On April 1, 2020, President Uhuru Kenyatta established the Covid-19 Emergency Response Fund to mobilize resources in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
As of July 3, 2020, the fund has collected over Sh2.8 billion from corporates, foundations, religious institutions, multinationals, and Kenyans of good will.
According to Jane Karuku, chairperson of the fund, Sh500 million will be disbursed via M-Pesa to Nairobi's most vulnerable communities, including residents of Ngara, Mukuru, Lang'ata, and Kibra estates.
"We're giving these people Sh1,000 per week for the next four weeks," Karuku said during an interview.
The funds will also be used to purchase personal protective equipment (PPEs) for healthcare workers, with Sh237 million allocated for this purpose.
"We want to make sure all the 54 Covid-19 designated hospitals in the country have adequate supply of PPEs. Interestingly, all the PPEs we have bought are manufactured locally by Kenyan firms because as a board we believe in the Buy Kenya Build Kenya initiative," Karuku added.
Local manufacturers have proved their worth as dependable suppliers for the much-needed kits, which will also be distributed to key health centers, refugee camps, and counties on a need basis.
Another Sh1.3 million has been spent on buying face masks that are being distributed to vulnerable communities, including Jua Kali workers and mama mbogas around Nairobi and nearby towns.
To ensure transparency in the spending of the funds, the board will make public all contributions and expenditure regularly, with the help of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Deloitte, and EY Kenya providing pro-bono assurance services.
