Coronavirus: Kenya set to receive Ksh5 billion from World Bank

Kenya is set to receive Ksh5 billion from the World Bank to support its ongoing efforts to combat the Coronavirus outbreak.

Cabinet Secretary for Health Mutahi Kagwe said the credit line will be up for approval by the board of the World Bank on April 2.

The package comes just as Kenya recorded the highest jump in infections on Wednesday when it confirmed 22 new cases, bringing the total to 81.

The patients are 18 Kenyans and two nationals each from Pakistan and Cameroon, who tested positive from among 300 persons with Mr Kagwe saying that they are all in quarantine.

Kagwe said that the credit facility will increase the government’s pool of funds to finance production of sanitisers, protective gear for medical personnel and scaling up bed capacity for COVID-19 patients.

The country will scale up production of face masks in addition to the free distribution of sanitisers that began last week to beef up support from development partners and curb spread of the virus.

The funds will also be used towards enhancing disease detection capacities and mobilizing response capacity through trained and well-equipped frontline health workers.

In a tweet in mid-March, the World Bank said “the funding will enhance surveillance, laboratory services, isolation units, equipment, supplies, and communication to help mitigate coronavirus in Kenya,”

As part of its mechanisms, the fund is expected to accelerate international response and support countries to manage the global health emergency.

World Bank had committed an initial package of USD 12 billion to assist countries coping with the health and economic impacts of the global outbreak.