In just four years, Kenya will face a historic test of self-reliance in health financing as it prepares to fully take over the cost of its national immunisation programme.
For decades, international partners, led by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (Gavi), have carried the larger burden of ensuring that Kenyan children are protected from deadly but preventable diseases. By 2029, however, the donor era will end, and Kenya will be expected to fund the programme entirely from its own resources.
Dr. Francis Omondi, a health economist, points out that while Kenya has made progress in boosting its share of immunisation funding, these gains remain fragile and uneven. In 2017, the government financed just 21 percent of the immunisation budget.
“By 2022, the figure had climbed to around 50 percent, a significant step forward. Yet the momentum has since weakened, and government support now stands at only 43 percent,” he said adding that, “The bulk of the funding gap continues to be filled by Gavi, which currently provides about 56 percent of Kenya’s immunisation costs. The United States government, once a key partner contributing around five percent, has since withdrawn its support, leaving an even larger hole to fill.”
Dr. Omondi warns that these external dependencies are risky, especially when combined with internal inefficiencies.
He points out delays in the release of funds from the National Treasury to the National Vaccines and Immunisation Programme and on to county governments have been frequent, undermining delivery and slowing progress. At the county level, he adds, capacity gaps in managing immunisation programmes remain evident and need urgent attention.
Dr Omondi also says that beyond funding delays and managerial weaknesses, Kenya is also bracing for a steep rise in vaccine costs. Under Gavi, the country has benefited from heavily subsidised vaccine prices, thanks to pooled procurement and global discounts. Once the transition occurs, Kenya will bear the full responsibility of procurement and pay higher prices on the open market.
“Gavi purchases vaccines in bulk and secures discounted rates. Once we transition, Kenya will be responsible for its own procurement, and the cost of vaccines is expected to rise significantly,” Dr. Omondi explained.
The road to self-reliance, however, is not closed. Experts believe Kenya can still prepare itself if urgent steps are taken.
They are calling on the government to give immunisation a stronger priority within the health budget, treating it as a cornerstone of universal health coverage rather than a negotiable item.
The experts also recommend accelerating local vaccine manufacturing to cut import costs, strengthening public-private partnerships to pool resources and expertise, and fixing the bureaucratic bottlenecks that delay disbursements from the Treasury to counties. Only by combining better financing with more efficient management, they argue, can Kenya sustain its immunisation programme without donor support.
With just four years to go, the gap between the current 43 percent and the full 100 percent target remains vast. Dr. Omondi cautions that unless urgent measures are taken, the country risks reversing decades of progress in protecting children from preventable diseases.
“For Kenya, the question of readiness is no longer abstract. It is a test of political will, fiscal discipline, and the country’s commitment to safeguarding its youngest citizens. Immunisation has been one of Kenya’s greatest public health achievements. The challenge now is ensuring that this progress is not undone when donor safety nets are finally withdrawn.”
