Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua has announced a comprehensive strategy that seeks to position Kenya as the leading destination for medical tourism in Africa.
Mutua announced the groundbreaking move on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, during a meeting with stakeholders from the medical field, including the leadership of the country’s top hospitals where he outlined his vision.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, the CS emphasized his ambition to make Kenya the number one choice for medical tourists across the continent.
CS Mutua further revealed that a strategic meeting involving key players from both the medical sector and relevant government agencies will be convened within the next month to actualize this vision.
According to Mutua, the goal of the upcoming meeting is to develop a robust marketing program targeting all Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) countries through billboards, exhibitions, and roadshows.
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“Kenya already attracts a significant number of patients from the region and Africa at large. However, over ten thousand Kenyans still seek medical treatment abroad, particularly in India, due to the perception that quality medical care is overpriced in Kenya,” Mutua noted.
Mutua on Medical Tourism
In addition, the strategy meeting will focus on establishing international protocols for medical patients and creating a rating system for Kenyan health facilities to ensure they meet global standards.
As part of the initiative, a new portal providing detailed information on all Kenyan medical facilities will also be launched.
CS Mutua on his part further urged local hospitals to address this perception and explore ways to make healthcare more accessible and affordable.
He highlighted the necessity of partnerships between the government, health facility owners, and the hospitality industry to make this vision a reality.
The meeting was also attended by representatives from leading hospitals including the Nairobi Hospital, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karen Hospital, Nairobi West Hospital, Coptic Hospital, and Avenue Hospital.
They assured the Cabinet Secretary of the country’s regional leadership in treating cardiovascular, renal and cancer related diseases and the skills and equipment to perform brain surgeries and gastrointestinal conditions.
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The announcement comes after Kenya suffered a huge blow following reports from US biotechnology giant Moderna that it had suspended its plan to build a multi-billion plant in the country.
Moderna Suspends Plan to Build Facility
Moderna made the announcement noting that it had suspended plans to build a vaccine plant worth Ksh65 billion in Kenya.
The company was yet to buy a plot earmarked for it in a special economic zone at Tatu City, Kiambu County, following the suspension of its plans according to a report by The Financial Times (FT).
In a statement to the FT, Moderna confirmed it had “paused its efforts” to build a vaccine plant in Kenya.
“The demand in Africa for Covid-19 vaccines has declined since the pandemic and is insufficient to support the viability of the factory,” the FT quoted the firm to have said.
Moderna had earlier inked a deal in 2022 with the Kenyan government to invest billions of shillings in a facility that would produce up to 500 million vaccine shots a year.
The government on its part assured the American firm of several tax breaks and allowed it to more than halve its original planned investment of $500 million to $200 million, according to the Financial Times report.
Kenya earlier said Moderna’s $500 million vaccine plant would have a crucial role to play in the fight against other diseases beyond the Covid-19 pandemic.
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