This archive report was first published on 3 September 2021.
On September 3, 2021, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe issued a stern warning against individuals and groups attempting to profit from the Covid-19 vaccination process in Kenya.
Speaking at JKIA, where he received a consignment of 459,000 AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines donated by the Canadian Government, Kagwe emphasized that the vaccination against Covid-19 is free of charge, whether in a private facility or in a public hospital or any other designated site.
He urged Kenyans to report any facility or health worker soliciting payment in exchange for vaccination through the Ministry of Health Covid-19 hotline number 719 or through the regular Ministry telephone numbers and email address.
According to Kagwe, the Health Ministry has clearly listed the vaccination sites where people can go and get the jab, and the list is easily accessible and published on the Ministry's website.
He warned that anyone attempting to take advantage of the vaccination process for personal gain will face the full force of the law.
Regarding the recent incident in Murang'a, where some politicians mobilized a vaccination drive, Kagwe stated that the relevant government agencies have pursued the matter, leading to the arrest of seven people, and they are in hot pursuit of the mastermind, a doctor.
He thanked the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council for their swift action that led to the immediate revocation of vaccination licenses for the concerned facilities.
As of September 1, 2021, a total of 2,807,945 vaccines had been administered across the country, with 2,000,285 first doses and 807,660 second doses.
The uptake of the second dose among those who received their first dose was at 40.4 per cent, with the majority being males at 55 per cent and females at 45 per cent.
He thanked the Government of Canada for their generosity and urged all those charged with the responsibility of undertaking the vaccination exercise to do so with diligence.
