Kenya warns state workers to get COVID vaccine or face punishment

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - Kenya warned public servants Tuesday that they have until Aug. 23 to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or they will face disciplinary action.

In a memo to all offices, Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua noted that the delivery of public services had been hampered due to some public servants not accepting the jab.

“All civil servants will be prioritized in the ongoing vaccination exercise, and those who will not have been given the first jab by Aug. 23 will be disciplined,” Kinyua said.

“It was also observed that some public servants have deliberately avoided being vaccinated so that they can stay away from work under the guise of working from home. This has negatively affected service delivery to the public.”

On Tuesday, 1,183 people in Kenya tested positive for COVID-19 from a sample size of 8,144 tested in the last 24 hours. The positivity rate stands at 14.5% with total confirmed cases standing at 213,756 and cumulative tests so far conducted being 2,205,159.

Another 32 patients were reported to have succumbed to the disease, according to the Health Ministry, taking the total to 4,211.