COVID-19: Kenya receives Chinese billionaire Jack Ma’s testing kits, masks

Kenya on Tuesday received 100,000 masks from the Jack Ma Foundation.

Kenya is among 54 other Africa countries that have benefited from the donation from the Chinese billionaire and Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma.

The masks, together with 20,000 test kits and 1,000 protective gear landed at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and were received by Ethiopia’s Ambassador to Kenya Meles Alem and the Director of Public Health Dr Patrick Amoth.

Amoth said the donation will go a long way in the efforts aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus.

He said the donation will immediately be put into use to enhance capacity with the existing kits.

“We shall equip our National Influenza Centre, as well as all our Kemri testing centres here in Nairobi, Kilifi and Kisumu,” Amoth said.

Amoth said priority will be given to personal protection especially to those working in isolation centres.

His remarks were echoed by Ambassador Meles who said Ethiopia shares the same predicament with Kenya hence the collaboration.

This is a global pandemic that requires global concerted and coordination efforts. All of us risk infection and thus with such collaboration, we can be sure of winning,” he said.

So far 43 African countries have reported 1,872 cases with 50 deaths.

Ethiopia has 12 cases while Kenya has 16 cases with the first case having been reported on March 13.

South Sudan, Burundi, Botswana, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Libya, Mali and Malawi are among those that have not reported a single case.

South Africa’s latest data indicate the cases have hit 554 Covid-19 cases so far.

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