By John Ikani
The Kenyan Government plans to introduce a directive next month to prevent citizens unvaccinated against Covid-19 from receiving government services.
Health Minister Mutahi Kagwe said unvaccinated people would be banned from public transport, local airlines and train services.
Mr Kagwe did not offer details on how Kenya will implement the need for a Covid-19 pass, as many countries across the globe increasingly implement the rule as a way of opening up and letting people travel.
These passports are usually accessed via an app on mobile phones or, in some cases, paper versions are available.
Proof of vaccination will be ranked equally with other State documents such as Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) when in need of government services.
This means that the non-vaccinated will be barred from making critical transactions such as registration of land titles, approval of development plans, transfer and licensing of motor vehicles, and registration of business names and companies.
Those without proof of full vaccination would also be cut from services such as underwriting of insurance policies, customs clearing, and forwarding, payment of deposits for power connections as well as supplying goods and services to the State, and opening accounts with financial institutions.
In addition, the unvaccinated will be denied access to public transport, hotels, nightclubs and other crowded venues ahead of Christmas.
The rule which comes into force on 21 December is intended to boost vaccine uptake in the country where about 8.8 percent of the adult population is fully immunised.
Beginning on Tuesday, young people over the age of 15 will be able to get a Pfizer jab.
Kenya has a target of vaccinating 10 million people by the end of December.
So far less than 10% of the population has been vaccinated.
