Ambassador OKANIWA Commemorates Handing Over of 200,200 COVID-19 Vaccines at the Kitengela Vaccine Depot

On 21st April, H.E. Mr. OKANIWA Ken, Ambassador of Japan to Kenya, Ms. Maniza Zaman of the UNICEF Representative in Kenya, and Kenyan government officials including Dr. Willis Akhwale, Chairman of COVID Vaccine Deployment Taskforce, the Ministry of Health visited the Kitengela National Vaccine Depot to commemorate the handing over of 200,200 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines. The vaccines donated via the COVAX Facility by the Government of Japan (GOJ) arrived in Kenya on 6 April, and have now been distributed across the country after having been stored in the Kitengela Depot.

During the visit, Ambassador OKANIWA stated that the vaccines donation built on Japan’s ongoing partnership with the Government of Kenya, including in the response to COIVD-19. For many years, Japan has supported Kenya’s health sector including in the attainment of universal health coverage and the vaccines would assist Kenya in its fight against the pandemic.

From the outset, Japan’s assistance has helped Kenya’s fight against COVID-19. In September 2021, Japan donated 12 ultra-low temperature freezers and accessories for storage of COVID-19 vaccines that require very low temperatures of up to -80oC. The equipment was procured by UNICEF Kenya with funding from the GOJ, through its global vaccine initiative ‘Last One Mile Support’. This leveraged Japan’s longstanding experience of medical logistics to ensure equitable access and swift distribution of vaccines across the world.

In 2013, Japan supported the construction of the Kitengela National Vaccine Depot, together with three other regional vaccine depots, with a grant of approximately Ksh 826 million. These depots enabled Kenya to store and roll out the COVID-19 vaccines across the country.