Govt asked to establish stimulus program on vaccines

By Tobby Otum

The government has been asked to establish a stimulus program to inject funds to enable it to import more vaccines for more Kenyans to open up the country’s economy.

Orange Democratic Movement [ODM] party leader Raila Odinga asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to borrow a leaf from his US counterpart Joe Biden who came up with a similar program.

He said even when things get worse the government might seek alternative avenues through borrowing to import vaccines into the country.

“This is the time for the government to come up with a massive stimulus program to inject more funds into the country’s economy,” he pointed out.

Raila said the move will enable the government recover its economy affected by the outbreak of the coronavirus.

He spoke during a breakfast meeting marking this year’s Idd-Ul-Adha celebrations held at Bhadala hall in Mvita constituency, Mombasa County.

The ODM leader told the forum the country requires much more vaccines than before to be able to vaccinate 15 million people by end of the year.

Raila pointed out he is optimistic his request to the Head of State will enable the country contain the surge of the pandemic.

He said at the moment Kenya is faced with challenges in dealing with the pandemic which has ruined the country’s economy for the second year running.

Raila said the deadly disease has brought turbulence to the country’s economy and has brought it to its knees insisting that injecting more funds to import more vaccines is the only way to contain the spread of the deadly disease.

“The government’s only option is to inject more funds to import more vaccines in large quantities to vaccinate the electorate,” he added.

The former Prime Minister said the US government has opened its economy after vaccinating 70 per cent of its country’s population.

Raila pointed out businesses have been affected to an extent of being shut down due to the effects of the pandemic.

He further pointed out the outbreak has rendered majority of the electorate jobless and has brought famine in the entire country.

“Let me challenge the government to go all the way to ensure more vaccines are brought into the country for Kenyans to be vaccinated,” he pointed out.

The ODM leader said they want to see the yet to be established stimulus program extended to Wanjiku to alleviate the poverty level in the entire country.

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