Vaccine certificates: Will six million people run the economy?

The government recently announced that unvaccinated people will not be allowed into hotels and restaurants beginning December 2021. 

In a joint announcement with his Health counterpart, Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala claimed that this decision was reached after, among other things, he had been out of the country and witnessed other countries implement the same. 

Health’s Mutahi Kagwe added that the government will withhold key services including those from KRA and NTSA, among other agencies, from those without Covid-19 vaccination certificates.

As of last year, the government aimed to vaccinate 30 percent of the population by 2023.  As of today, statistics on the Ministry of Health’s website say a little over 6.7 million people have gotten at least one jab, against a target of 10 million by the end of the year.

The sheer irrationality that government planners continue to subject us to on this matter has reached astronomical heights. Could it be something in the water or the brain power it takes to keep Miguna Miguna away from Kenyan shores addling their wits?

Let’s start with the tourism guy. With restaurants and hotels suffering and the entire hospitality industry bruised by the effects of the pandemic, owners now need to not only check for vaccinated patrons, but also deny them entry depending on their vaccination status; all this at a time when they desperately need the business. 

To whom does this make sense? Does he really think that most business owners will have the clientele, the wherewithal, and the impetus to actually do more than check for facemasks and yet keep it moving?

And how are people supposed to be checking vaccination status when the Ministry's chanjo website is neither up-to-date nor accurate? Despite already receiving the jab, several people still can’t find their details on the chanjo page; others have the wrong details reflected while others have never received the SMS from Afya House confirming that they are fully vaccinated. 

Only 6.7 million vaccines administered

And it is not just about accessing websites, there’s also the problem of access. So, only 6.7 million vaccines have been administered, that leaves a cool 43 million yet to receive the jab. Are we now assuming that these 6.7 million are the ones to keep the economy running? With everyone else denied entry everywhere, what happens to businesses who stick to the ‘rules’? Are they meant to close shop? 

If only 30 percent of Kenyans are going to be vaccinated by 2023, how then does it make sense to make a declaration that locks out even the very people covering the press conference? 

Statistically speaking, only about 9.4 percent of Kenyans are fully vaccinated. 

A good number of Kenyans are unable to access vaccination centres, and those who do find out that the vaccines have run out, or they are expired.

Then, how is it that the government is threatening to have services withdrawn if Kenyans are not vaccinated? That should be deemed illegal! Nothing is supposed to deny a Kenyan citizen services from their government – not Huduma Namba, not a vaccination, not entry across a border, nothing. If I am Kenyan, I get services from the Kenyan government. That’s it. 

There’s no legal foundation with which to deny people services when a majority of Kenyans do not have, and will not get, the vaccination certificate being hanged over their heads. Not to mention, if the passport debacle was anything to go by, no government services take shorter than a year anyway. 

So, I suppose that this isn’t really a threat. You’ll probably get your ID if you’re from a border tribe in about the same time they’ll take to vaccinate all Kenyans. Unless they amend the declaration to be that if you’re not vaccinated, then you can’t vote. Then you’ll really see some real action. 

And finally – not that I can’t wax lyrical about the absurdity with which we are being handled, but this can’t go on forever – why do our leaders think that as soon as they see something implemented in other countries, it makes sense here? 

The guy has seen people abroad panicking, so? And? Therefore? These other countries have completely different systems than us – population-wise, historically, morbidity-wise and in many other ways. It is infantile to assume that because you see your friend jump off a cliff, you should too. Different countries are doing different things because they are just that – different. 

In America (which is unfortunate to quote), you can go to a drive-through, as if getting a burger, in many states, and get a Covid-19 test or a vaccine – for FREE. They have also had 770,000 deaths from Covid-19, and have had about 194 million people fully vaccinated. 

We really must decolonise our minds and our healthcare.

We must elect people who care about strategy, facts, and Kenyans in the next regime.