CS Aden Duale Opens 16th KEMRI Conference, Reaffirms UHC Agenda

Nairobi, Kenya - 10th February 2026 - Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale today officially opened the 16th KEMRI Annual Scientific and Health Conference in Nairobi, reaffirming the Government’s commitment to strengthening local vaccine manufacturing and accelerating progress towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

The three-day conference, convened under the theme “The Future of Health: Scientific Research, Innovation, Technology and Manufacturing for a Resilient Universal Health Coverage (UHC)”, brings together researchers, innovators, policymakers and development partners to advance dialogue, forge partnerships, showcase innovation, and generate practical recommendations to support sustainable local vaccine production.

Hon. Duale noted that the conference aligns with the vision of William Ruto to achieve health sovereignty for Kenya and the wider African continent, including the target of ensuring that at least 60 per cent of vaccines used in Africa are locally produced by 2040.

In his keynote address, the Cabinet Secretary outlined four strategic pillars driving Kenya’s UHC agenda: strengthening the health workforce; ensuring the availability of essential health commodities; building a resilient digital health ecosystem; and enhancing health financing to guarantee equitable access to quality healthcare without exposing households to financial hardship.

He reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to self-reliance in local manufacturing as a critical foundation of a sustainable health system. This includes strengthening the BioVax Institute and collaborating with strategic partners to establish a regional hub in Nairobi for vaccine research, development, manufacturing and training—positioning Kenya, with Kenya Medical Research Institute at the centre, as a regional leader in health product and vaccine manufacturing.

The Cabinet Secretary further underscored plans to progressively increase national investment in research from 0.8 per cent to 2 per cent of GDP, in line with Kenya’s ambition to become a knowledge-driven, innovation-led and manufacturing-enabled economy.

He also highlighted the Digital Superhighway initiative, which seeks to strengthen track-and-trace systems across the health sector, enhance transparency and accountability, and support the elimination of unqualified medical practitioners.

The conference is hosted by KEMRI leadership, led by Board Chairperson Dr. Abdullahi Ali and Acting Chief Executive Officer Prof. Elijah Songok, and continues over the next three days with scientific sessions, policy dialogues and innovation showcases. The CS was accompanied by Dr Stephen Muleshe, Director Public Health.