Kenya officially launched the WHO–MPP mRNA Technology Transfer Project, marking a major step toward advanced vaccine manufacturing and national health sovereignty. The event was presided over by Dr. Ouma Oluga, Principal Secretary for Medical Services. It brought together representatives from the World Health Organization and the Medicines Patent Pool, the leadership of Kenya BioVax Institute Limited and Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB), development partners, and industry stakeholders, including Thermo Fisher Scientific.
With this launch, Kenya joins just five other African countries selected into the WHO–MPP Programme. The milestone signals the country’s commitment to building sustainable, sovereign biomanufacturing capacity.
In his remarks, Board Chairman Dr. Charles Githinji emphasized the importance of strong governance, regulatory excellence, and long-term sustainability to anchor the Programme’s success. Dr. Oluga challenged Kenyan scientists to fully exploit the mRNA platform, innovate beyond COVID-19, and apply the technology to priority diseases and future health threats.
Through this technology transfer, Kenya BioVax Institute will gain end-to-end mRNA manufacturing know-how, strengthen local technical expertise, and establish a scalable platform to produce future vaccines and therapeutics locally—positioning Kenya as a credible regional hub for advanced biopharmaceutical innovation.
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