Group lures people for COVID-19 jab with free beer

The Bar Hotels Liquor Traders Association of Kenya (BAHLITA) is proposing free beers for those who are yet to be vaccinated in the country in partnership with the Ministry of Health to vaccinate people in bars.

Boniface Gachoka, BAHLITA Secretary-General, revealed at a press conference that the unique partnership would see revelers receiving beer free of charge after being vaccinated.

Said he: “Bars are gathering points for people and like churches, can become one of the places where people can be sure to access vaccines regularly. We are here to declare that all our 54,000 members in Kenya, hotels, bars and restaurants have offered their halls, their premises for free to the ministry of health as vaccination centers”.

According to Gachoka, the suggested partnership will encourage those who frequent bars to get the jab if they are yet to be vaccinated.

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Added Gachoka: “We are also ready to partner with the Ministry of Health and the manufacturers to do a plan like Spain where anybody who is going to be vaccinated will be given a beer. We are ready with those beers. It’s now up to the Ministry to consider the suggested partnership”.

Echoing Gachoka’s sentiments, Michael Muthami, National Chairperson of the Pubs, Entertainment and Restaurants Association of Kenya (PERAK), challenged MoH to think outside the box and emulate what is being done in different parts of the world.

Stated he: “In Israel, they were giving free beers. You go to the bar and get vaccinated and get a beer. I’m sure with MoH we can come into some sort of an agreement in our areas and have similar things. Think outside the box and get those vaccination numbers up”.

This comes barely two days after Mutahi Kagwe, Health Cabinet Secretary, gave bars the greenlight to operate until 11:00pm following the lifting of the curfew.

Said he: “With the removal of curfew, we are reverting the closure of bars and restaurants at 11:00pm or the time allowed by the licensing authorities. However, all Ministry of Health protocols remain in force”.

According to numbers shared by the Ministry of Health on Thursday, October 22, 2021, 1.3million Kenyans are fully vaccinated while 3.5million have already received their first jab.

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