The News Brief: Kenya orders for 24 million doses of Covid vaccine

Kenya has ordered 24 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine, the Star has learnt. The doses will be enough to cover 20 per cent of the country’s population.

The Ministry of health submitted its request to the global vaccine alliance Gavi last week. The doses will cost Kenya a total of Sh10 billion, the ministry confirmed.

This is approximately the cost also given by Gavi, which says each dose will cost about $3 (about Sh320).

The amount is already heavily discounted by Gavi through donations from a number of developed countries, the World Bank, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among others.

The Directorate of Public Prosecutions has handled at least 236 cases of police abuses in the past three years.

This brings to the fore the extent to which police excesses has continued to permeate Kenyans’ daily activities.

Of the cases, over 170 were in respect of killings by police officers in the process of handling suspects.

DPP Noordin Haji, in a report for the years 2017 to 2020, said at least 107 involved killing by law enforcement officers.

He said there were enhanced efforts to ensure criminal justice accountability during the period under review.

As a result, officers were taken to court over 31 cases of shooting whereas 30 others involved deaths of suspects while in the custody of the police.

President Uhuru Kenyatta’s allies have drawn up a plan to market ODM leader Raila Odinga in the Mt Kenya region.

This is in the hope that the handshake between the two would lead to Uhuru endorsing Raila for President in 2022.

The Star has established that series of meetings, similar to once held in Nyandarua last week, were on the cards in the ongoing plan.

The move is aimed at undercutting Deputy President William Ruto whose popularity in the region has been growing.

There has been speculation that Uhuru would not support Ruto as his successor despite making the pledge since 2013.

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko was on Monday set to submit his rebuttal as his accusers filed their evidence amid intriguing lobbying ahead of an epic political and legal battle in the Senate.

Sonko will face off with the relentless city MCAs before the Senate plenary starting Wednesday morning with the governor’s fate set to be decided on Thursday evening.

Speaker Kenneth Lusaka told the Star on Monday he would gazette Wednesday and Thursday for the special sitting.

The sitting comes amid intense behind-the-scenes lobbying that has seen the senators divided down the middle.

A section of the lawmakers, working with a Jubilee politician and the governor’s allies, have been meeting and working on a plan to save the governor whose job and political career are now at stake.

For the first time in six years Dennis Were, a pharmacist, will not be travelling upcountry for the festive season.

Currently residing in Nairobi, the doctor has been sending money to his relatives in the village in Kitale.

That is however not the only reason he will not be spending the season in his rural home.

Covid-19 has disrupted extravagant spending and leisure travel associated with the festive season. Bus fares are also very high.

The disruption of livelihoods, loss of lives and the Covid-19 restrictions are also projected to influence this year's festivities.

Many city dwellers have expressed reservations about spending Christmas away from their townhomes.

Kenya is second in Africa in bitcoin trade registering more than Sh6 billion in transactions between 2015-2020, according to an analysis by bitcoin trading platform Paxful.

In 2020, despite the pandemic, there was more bitcoin trading in Kenya than ever before, with a bitcoin trade worth Sh5.1billion which marks an increase of 472 per cent from 2019.

Nigeria is the largest bitcoin nation in Africa having traded Sh63.15billion in 2020, South Africa is third at Sh2.1billion with Morocco fourth at 229.8 million. Kenya has traded a total of 5,895 bitcoins between 2015-2020. This makes Kenya one of the biggest bitcoin trading countries in the world.