Editor's Review

  • Kenya has no plans to place orders for two Covid-19 vaccines
  • CS Mutahi Kagwe explains that until clearance is given Kenya will not be buying the new vaccine

Kenya has no plans to place orders for two Covid-19 vaccines, according to Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe.

CS Kagwe explained that Kenyans will not be used as guinea pigs “to test vaccines that are essentially not cleared.”

He added that the Ministry of Health was just being cautious to prevent Kenyans from falling “prey to commercial operations.”

“Nobody would want us to succeed in getting a vaccine more than the government and that is why we also are involved through Kemri-Wellcome Trust in the attempt to come up with a vaccine,” the CS said.

“But ... Kenyans will not be used as guinea pigs to test vaccines that are essentially not cleared, which we are not sure about," he continued.

Kagwe, who recently touched off a social media storm after he appeared to dismiss the efficacy of a Pfizer vaccine.

“It is all work in progress in our view until WHO has announced that now we have a vaccine that can now be used widely, that is when we will swing into action,” he said.

Mr Kagwe expressed fears that the vaccines could have side effects, just like others that had been released earlier.