This archive report was first published on 1 July 2021.
On Tuesday, the World Bank approved a Sh14 billion ($130 million) loan to help Kenya procure more vaccines and widen its inoculation exercise nationwide.
This is the second loan the country has received under the Covid-19 Emergency Response Project, following a Sh5.36 billion ($50 million) loan approved in April last year for conducting Covid-19 tests, isolation and quarantine centres, and purchasing personal protective gear for health workers.
Kenya had previously returned to the World Bank in March seeking a Sh10 billion loan to help purchase Covid-19 vaccines after experiencing a financing shortfall.
According to the World Bank, its contributions to Kenya's Covid-19 response total $246 million (Sh24.5 billion), including a $10 million (Sh1 billion) triggered under the Contingency Emergency Response Component of the Transforming Health Systems for Universal Care Project.
World Bank Country Director for Kenya, Keith Hansen, stated, "This additional financing comes at a critical time when the government of Kenya is making concerted efforts to contain the rising cases of Covid-19 infections and accelerate the deployment of vaccines to a wider population."
He added, "The upfront financing for the acquisition of Covid-19 vaccines will enable the government to expand access to more Kenyans free of cost."
