Ebola millions: What Kenya has received, allocated and awaits
In July Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale told the Senate Health Committee that the country needs Sh2.68 billion to prepare for and respond to Ebola.
What you need to know:
- Health CS Aden Duale told the Senate Health Committee in July that the country needs Sh2.68 billion to prepare for and respond to Ebola.
- Giving a breakdown of how the money was distributed, Duale said the largest share, Sh841.7 million, was allocated to clinical preparedness.
Kenya has received more than $15.5 million (about Sh2 billion) from two countries to fight Ebola. The United States provided $14.52 million, while China gave $1 million.
The World Bank has approved an allocation for the Ebola response, but the National Treasury has yet to release the funds.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale told the Senate Health Committee in July that the country needs Sh2.68 billion, or about $20.7 million, to prepare for and respond to Ebola.
In July, the US Embassy announced $14.5 million for Ebola preparedness in 22 high-risk counties. The money was allocated to implementing partners for training laboratory professionals, deploying disease detectives, training rapid response teams, supporting Kenya Medical Research Institute Ebola-testing laboratories and mobile diagnostic laboratories, and activating county and national emergency operations centres.
Duale told the Daily Nation that the $14.52 million was “allocated directly to identified implementing partners, with the Ministry and Kenya National Public Health Institute providing policy direction, technical leadership and coordination.”
“None of these funds has been transferred to, received by or administered by the Ministry of Health or the Kenya National Public Health Institute. The monies were released to the National Treasury,” Mr Duale told the Daily Nation.
Giving a breakdown of how the money was distributed, Duale said the largest share, $6.5 million (Sh841.7 million), was allocated to clinical preparedness, including infection prevention and protective gear. About $3.77 million (Sh488 million) went to surveillance and response, while $2.65 million (Sh343.33 million) was allocated to emergency operations and $2 million (Sh258.9 million) to supply chains and logistics.
On Tuesday, a day after Kenya confirmed its first Ebola-related death, the US government said it was ready to support the country’s response as needed.
In a statement to the Nation, a US State Department spokesman said that, since the outbreak began, the United States had provided $887 million (about Sh115.17 billion) in direct health and humanitarian assistance to combat Ebola, including more than $10 million (about Sh1.29 billion) in new direct support for Kenya’s efforts to detect the disease and prevent its spread.
“The United States remains in close coordination with the Government of Kenya, which has been an effective partner on health-related issues, on how to best respond to this threat and protect US citizens,” the spokesman said.
“The United States stands ready to support the response in Kenya as needed. The United States has partnered with Kenya for decades to help build capacity to combat epidemics jointly,” the spokesman added.
At a ceremony at the National Treasury on Tuesday, Chinese Ambassador Guo Haiyan handed over a $2 million cash grant (about Sh259 million). Half of the money is for Ebola preparedness and the other half for drought relief.
“At the request of the Kenyan Government, the Chinese Government is providing a $1 million cash grant to support efforts to strengthen Ebola virus disease preparedness infrastructure in identified very high-risk and high-risk counties. Another $1 million cash grant will be used to support the Kenyan Government in responding to the effects of drought,” the Chinese Embassy said.
Treasury Principal Secretary Chris Kiptoo and Public Health Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni signed the handover certificate.
A medic wears a protective mask at Nairobi Hospital where an Ebola patient was isolated immediately upon arrival and treated at the hospital's East Wing Isolation Facility, but later died, in Nairobi, on October 7, 2026.
On Friday, Ms Muthoni announced that Kenya had received laboratory equipment and protective gear worth Sh171 million for facilities in high-risk counties. She urged other development partners to provide support but did not name the donors.
Earlier, the Ministry of Health said the World Health Organization had supplied 1,000 sets of protective equipment, while India had donated 6,000.
The World Bank has approved Sh3,326,272 for the Ebola response through its Health Emergencies Preparedness, Response and Resilience project, but the National Treasury has yet to release the funds, Duale said.
That component is being implemented through the Kenya National Public Health Institute and coordinated by the State Department for Medical Services.
The disclosure comes as Kenya seeks broader emergency financing from the World Bank. The country is expected to receive about Sh51.8 billion (roughly $400 million) through the lender’s Rapid Response Option within six weeks. The funds are intended to address risks arising from El Niño, the regional Ebola outbreak and high energy prices.
A World Bank spokesperson said the lender was supporting Kenya in finalising a framework that would allow it to access rapid financing when an eligible crisis occurs, including risks linked to the conflict in the Middle East and El Niño.
Kenya applied for the financing after the Iran war, which began in February, pushed crude oil prices sharply higher. The source said the risks facing the country had since broadened beyond energy costs alone.
Kenya’s World Bank project portfolio exceeds $7 billion (Sh905.8 billion), with about $3 billion (Sh388.35 billion) already disbursed or committed. Under the emergency financing framework, countries can typically access up to 10 per cent of their undisbursed lending portfolio.
This would give Kenya access to roughly Sh51.8 billion, although the final amount will depend on the undisbursed balance when the framework is completed.
Kenya and the World Bank are finalising a Contingency Emergency Response Project to set out the financing terms. The World Bank Board has already cleared the underlying projects.
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