On the morning of Tuesday, March 8, a post crediting Deputy President William Ruto with the brokering of a Ksh57 billion Moderna factory deal between Kenya and the US went viral.
The post, which has been shared by unsuspecting Kenyans, stated that Ruto was behind the securing of the deal while on his four-day tour of the US.
It further indicated that the deal was penned after the second-in-command held a closed door meeting with Moderna Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Stéphane Bancel, on Saturday, March 5, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
But a spot check by Kenyans.co.ke has established that the post is fake and information contained in it misleading. Former Citizen TV journalist, Hussein Mohamed, who is also William Ruto's Presidential Campaign Communication's Director, dismissed the report as fake and malicious.
On the last day of his tour of the US, Ruto visited Arizona State University where he met leaders, scholars, and students with the main topic of their discussion centering around economy and prosperity.
He later held a meeting with Kenyans in the US where he pitched to them his agenda ahead of the August 9 General Election.
"Thank you Kenyans living in the US for your warm reception. We do not take it for granted. The contribution of Kenyans in the diaspora to the economy of our country is enormous and must be respected. You deserve attention and good service," Ruto stated after meeting Kenyans in the diaspora.
Ruto then left the US for a tour of the United Kingdom.
The deal to build the Moderna factory to supply over 500 million doses of mRNA vaccines was sealed in presence of President Uhuru Kenyatta and Health Cabinet Secretary, Mutahi Kagwe.
While making public the deal, Uhuru noted the factory will be the first of its kind in Africa and is aimed at fostering the nation's efforts in dealing with various health complications.
"We are pleased to partner with Moderna in the establishment of this mRNA manufacturing facility to help prepare the country and our sister states on the continent through the African Union to respond to future health crises and stave off the next pandemic," Uhuru stated at the time.
"Moderna's investment in Kenya will help advance equitable global vaccine access and is emblematic of the structural developments that will enable Africa to become an engine of sustainable global growth."
Moderna's CEO also announced the deal noting that it will open Africa's potential to fight different diseases.
"Battling the pandemic over the last two years has provided a reminder of the work that must be done to ensure global health equity. Moderna is committed to being a part of the solution and today, we announce another step in this journey - an investment in the Republic of Kenya to build a drug substance mRNA manufacturing facility capable of supplying up to 500 million doses for the African continent each year," Moderna CEO stated.
