The high court has declined to suspend a directive by the Ministry of Health that those seeking government services must be fully vaccinated.
Human activist Wilfred Ochieng moved to court to challenge the directive that was issued by Health CS Mutahi Kagwe.
Kagwe announced that those seeking government services and travel by public means must be vaccinated fully and show proof of vaccination for them to be served.
High Court judge Anthony Mrima declined to issue any orders on the matter until the petition filed by Ochieng’ is heard and determined.
The judge instead directed Attorney General Paul Kihara Kariuki, who is representing the Ministry of Health, to respond to the petition within a period of 10 days.
In his petition, Ochieng’ argues that, according to the World Health Organization, Covid vaccines such as AstraZeneca and Pfizer should be administered dually over a period of eight weeks; as such it is unrealistic for Kenyans, who have yet to receive the jab, to conform to the order.
“It is an undisputed fact that the interval of only four weeks within which in excess of 24 million Kenyans are expected to comply with the directive is unrealistic and oppressive,” part of the petition read.
The case is set for hearing on December 20, 2021.
Kagwe said that those seeking services from state agencies such as KRA, Ministries of Education and Immigration, NTSA and Kenya Ports Authority among others should be vaccinated by December 21.
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