Since the introduction of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in Kenya in March 2020, 342,953 confirmed cases have been reported, with 5,688 of these unfortunately leading to loss of lives as at 21st March 2023. Several measures were therefore enforced to control transmission in the country. These included closure of international borders to travelers, closure of learning institutions, bans on social gatherings and religious meetings, a dawn-to-dusk curfew, physical distancing and mandatory use of masks in public spaces, and movement restrictions in counties with high infection rates. The pandemic tested the capacity of the healthcare system, with several high transmission waves, exposing significant gaps in Kenya’s health emergency preparedness and response. Economic shocks experienced in the country also further ravaged East Africa’s largest economy, resulting in a contraction of 1-1.5 percent in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2020, as containment measures restricted economic activity.
