On 13 March 2020, Kenya confirmed its first case of COVID-19. The patient had returned from the United States. Within weeks, President Kenyatta had imposed a curfew, closed schools and restricted movement. Kenya's healthcare system, already strained, faced a crisis it was not designed for.
The informal economy, which employed millions, collapsed almost overnight. But Kenya also showed resilience. M-Pesa enabled cash transfers to the vulnerable. Community health workers reached remote areas.
Scientists at KEMRI contributed to global research. The pandemic was devastating. It was also, in some ways, a demonstration of what Kenya could do when it had to.