True: Kenya to receive KSh. 150M for tracking Covid-19 variants
NTV Kenya claimed that Kenya is set to receive KSh. 150 million to boost its genomic sequencing to track new Covid-19 variants.
A Twitter post and a news report by NTV Kenya claimed that Kenya is set to receive Ksh. 150 million to help in tracking new Covid-19 variants. The donation is part of an existing partnership between the Kenyan government and the United Kingdom.
The NTV news report is verified following an interview with Dr. Samora Otieno, the Health Advisor at Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office Kenya. In the interview, Dr. Samora highlighted the benefits of the partnership that seeks to track new variants and how they relate to the vaccines being administered.
The United Kingdom High Commission also backed the donation to Kenya. According to the office, the support will be offered through the UK’s New Variant Assessment Platform Programme (NVAP) as part of the Kenya-UK Health Partnership.
Additionally, through the Kemri Wellcome Trust, Kenya has been involved in the ongoing Covid-19 trials in collaboration with the United Kingdom. Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe confirmed the partnership.
“Kenyan and British scientists at KEMRI [Kenya Medical Research Institute] and Oxford University were closely involved in the development of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Now we will share our expertise to work together in identifying, tracking and responding to new variants with Kenya, saving lives here and around the world. No one is safe until everyone is safe,” said Kagwe.
The claim is also backed up by the article from Reuters indicating that the UK will provide genomic sequencing support to Brazil, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, and Pakistan to help identify, assess and track new variants of the novel coronavirus.
Amani FM has looked into the claim of Kenya to receive KSh. 150M for tracking COVID 19 variants, and finds it to be TRUE.
This story was produced by Amani FM in partnership with Code for Africa, Kenya Community Media Network and the Catholic Media Council with support from the German Cooperation as a part of the Our County Our Responsibility project.
