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Kenya’s status as a powerhouse in medical research has been elevated after the country was elected to the seat of Vice President of the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) Global Council.

While Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) will be representing the country in the council, the Kenya Biovax Institute was also elected to the IVI Board of Trustees in the vote held in Manila, Philippines during the IVI Global Council meeting on Tuesday.

The elections position Kenya at the center of global vaccine policy, research and manufacturing strategy.

Kemri acting director general and CEO Elijah Songok said the Vice Presidency is not just an honour but a vote of confidence in Kenya’s scientific leadership.

“We will use this platform to champion equitable access to vaccines, amplify Africa’s research priorities, and accelerate partnerships that move us from dependency to local production,” Songok said.

He said Kenya stands ready to help shape a healthier, more prepared world.

Kenya Biovax Institute CEO Wesley Ronoh said Kenya also joins the IVI Board of Trustees at a critical moment for global health.

He said sitting on the board allows Kenya to directly influence vaccine development pipelines and ensure innovations reach the communities that need them most — faster and affordably.

“Our mandate is clear: Turn science into doses, and doses into protection for our people,” he said in his acceptance speech.

Songok and Ronoh led the Kenyan delegation to the meeting in the Philippines.

The IVI is an international organisation devoted to vaccines for global health.

Headquartered in Seoul, it is mandated to discover, develop, and deliver safe, effective, and affordable vaccines.

The Global Council guides IVI’s strategic direction, while the Board of Trustees provides governance and fiduciary oversight.

Kenya’s dual election reflects growing recognition of the country’s investments in health research through Kemri and in local vaccine manufacturing through Kenya Biovax Institute.

The appointments are expected to strengthen South-South collaboration, technology transfer, and pandemic preparedness across Africa.

On June 5, 2024, President William Ruto, announced that Kenya officially joined the IVI as a member state party at the organisation’s headquarters in Seoul, Korea.

Ruto said Kenya’s accession to the IVI strengthens the country’s resolve to achieve self-reliance in vaccine production.

During the ceremony, he raised the Kenyan flag, and the national anthem was played, signifying the respect the country has achieved.

Kenya, through Kemri, will use this position at IVI to enhance advocacy and provide strong leadership as the AU-designated Local Manufacturing Champion State and the leading regional pharmaceutical, research and development, and innovation, emerging bio-manufacturing and supply hub hosting a WHO regional hub.

Songok was elected to the Vice President position because of his extensive experience and leadership in medical research, particularly in the realm of public health and infectious diseases, making him an exceptionally qualified candidate for the role.

Due to the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic, Songok has been leading Kemri’s efforts for local vaccine manufacturing.

The efforts include Kemri’s formation of Kenya Biovax Institute, epidemiological surveillance and pathogen genotyping, strengthening of local clinical trials sites, and, recently, the elevation of Kemri to be Kenya’s and regional centre of workforce training for vaccine and drug development.

Kenya's commitment to global health initiatives and vaccine development has been significantly strengthened since her accession to the IVI Establishment Agreement in June 2024.

This collaboration has already yielded concrete results, including the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to establish and operationalise the IVI Kenya Country Office and the Advanced Vaccine End-to-End Capabilities (AVEC) Africa Project Office in Nairobi.

These developments underscore Kenya's dedication to fostering vaccine research and development on the African continent and beyond.

Songok has been instrumental in advancing these collaborations and his deep understanding of the needs and challenges in vaccine research and equitable access will be invaluable to the council.

His leadership would undoubtedly contribute significantly to the Council's mandate of discussing critical issues, identifying solutions, and advising the IVI leadership on strategic direction.

INSTANT ANALYSIS:

Kenya is aggressively advancing research and manufacturing to achieve self-reliance, aiming to produce 60-70 per cent of its vaccines locally by 2040. Kemri conducts vaccine trials, including HIV vaccine trials (HIVconsVX), malaria (RTS, S/AS01), and COVID-19 vaccine evaluations (AstraZeneca).