• ILRI will utilise its laboratory facilities and staff to enhance Kenya’s testing capacity.
• While Kenya insists it has the ability to conduct up to 37,000 tests per day, it is only managing about 1,000 a day.
Germany Ambassador Annett Gunther during a visit to ILRI/ COURTESY
NAIROBI -The Ministry of Health, the International Livestock Research Institute and the German government have announced a new partnership in Kenya’s war on Covid-19.
Germany will offer its support through the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
The partnership announced on Monday seeks to enhance testing for coronavirus and ILRI will utilise its laboratory facilities and staff to enhance Kenya’s testing capacity. The testing will be done at ILRI‘s state of the art biolabs in Nairobi.
While Kenya insists it has the ability to conduct up to 37,000 tests per day, it is only managing about 1,000 a day.
The main challenge is the lack of nasal swabs, basic tools to sets for coronavirus. They are the ear-bud like tools used to collect samples deep inside one’s nose and mouth for the test.
“The kits have certain components that come together for us to have a complete test,” Health CAS Mercy Mwangangi said during a press briefing early May.
“The great challenge we have right now is the presence of nasopharyngeal swabs. We have discussions on how to domesticate these swabs to be able to utilise it to run a successful test.”
The German embassy on Monday, however, said more testing is essential to flatten the curve in Kenya.
“Germany stands by the people of Kenya and will continue its close cooperation with Kenyan partners at this difficult time, adapting to its current challenges. I salute the innovative approach of ILRI to expand Covid-19 testing capacities,” Ambassador Annett Gunther said during a visit to ILRI.
Germany is engaged within the European Union and will participate as actively as possible in the global cooperation package focusing on Africa, the envoy said.
“Germany supports the EU’s global response to the Covid-19 crisis and the focus on Africa (€3.25 billion)”.
