Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe on Wednesday, November 11 came under fire from a section of Kenyans over his remarks on the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer.
Kagwe was speaking as he appeared before the Senate’s Health Committee to give a status report on the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
The CS admitted as he was being grilled in parliamentary committee over Covid-19 report that he did not understand how the vaccine would protect a person from the virus.
"Yes we are hearing there is a vaccine…Pfizer say there is a vaccine but personally to tell you the truth, I have many doubts about it because they were talking about a disease that stops people from getting the virus.
"Now, I would like to know how they knew in the first place that I was going to get the virus. We are talking about treatment when I have a virus but when you tell me that I stopped you from getting the virus…how would you know I was going to get the virus in the first place? So for me, I have reservations about it," Kagwe stated.
His remarks attracted backlash from a number of Kenyans who slated him for his ignorance on the vaccine despite him not being a medical expert.
"This is the Minister for Health, Republic of Kenya. Academic background: BCom (University of Nairobi), MBA (USIU). He also went to Kagumo High and Kihate Primary School in Mukurweini. Ni kama alihata (It's like he missed) crucial lessons on how vaccines work," Nation columnist Gabriel Oguda complained.
"President Uhuru Kenyatta Cabinet has been full of jokers. From employing a class 7 dropout from Mumias as CS to the silly Kiunjuri and Munya remarks on Locusts and now to Mutahi Kagwe poor reasoning on matters covid-19 vaccine," said Levi Sitati.
Brenda Wambui commented that she puzzled how people would still believe in meritocracy when the person in charge of health would admit to lacking a basic understanding of how vaccines protect the human body.
Kevin Fult explained that people sleep under mosquito nets, not because they are sure that we will be bitten by the female anopheles mosquito and contract malaria, but because they know that prevention is better than cure.
This comes after Pfizer and BioNTech pharmaceutical companies on Monday, November 9 announced that the vaccine proved to be 90 per cent effective.
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