By Dennis Gichuiri
India has donated 11 tonnes of medical supplies and specialised equipment to Kenya to strengthen the country’s preparedness for Ebola Virus Disease and other public health emergencies.
The supplies were handed over by India’s High Commissioner to Kenya, Dr Adarsh Swaika, to Principal Secretary for Public Health Mary Muthoni at the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) headquarters in Nairobi on Monday.
The consignment includes 30,000 N95 masks, more than 7,000 impermeable protective gowns and approximately 10,000 heavy-duty nitrile gloves to enhance the safety of frontline healthcare workers.
It also contains 60 Powered Air-Purifying Respirators, six Class II/III biosafety cabinets and four cold-chain refrigerators to strengthen infection prevention, laboratory safety and the storage of temperature-sensitive medical supplies.
The latest donation builds on India’s previous support for Kenya’s Ebola preparedness. On July 22, 2026, India handed over approximately five tonnes of essential medical supplies to Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale.
India has also extended its support across the continent, donating more than 45 tonnes of medical supplies to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in May 2026 to strengthen regional preparedness and response efforts against Ebola.
The assistance comes as Kenya and its international partners continue to strengthen health systems and emergency response capabilities to manage infectious disease threats.
India-Kenya Health Partnership
The latest donation highlights the longstanding health cooperation between Kenya and India, which has included medical supplies, specialised equipment, training and capacity-building programmes.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, India supplied Kenya with 1.12 million doses of locally manufactured vaccines under its Vaccine Maitri initiative. The country also provided essential medicines and other medical assistance.
Other areas of cooperation include the establishment of a CT scan complex at the Kenya Navy Hospital in Mombasa in 2025 and the donation of a Bhabhatron radiotherapy machine to Kenyatta National Hospital in 2018.
India has also committed to installing an MRI machine at the Kenya Navy Hospital, alongside supporting healthcare training and institutional capacity-building programmes.
The High Commission said the latest handover reflected the close friendship between the two countries and their commitment to strengthening public health services.
India reaffirmed its commitment to working with Kenya through medical assistance, training and institutional partnerships to improve healthcare preparedness and emergency response capabilities.
The donation is expected to strengthen the capacity of healthcare personnel and facilities to prevent and control infections, improve laboratory safety and protect frontline workers during public health emergencies.
