Bar, hotels and restaurant owners have urged the government to use their establishment centres as new COVID-19 vaccination centres.

Through their organisation Bar, Hotels and Liquor Traders Association (BAHLITA), they have noted that their institutions just like churches are gathering points that the ministry of health can use to ease vaccination. 

“We urge the Ministry of Health to partner with bars and restaurants and consider using these establishments as vaccination centres from time to time,” they said.

They have said that bars are gathering areas for most people just like churches and can become of the places where people can be sure to access vaccines regularly.

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe on Thursday said that the government targets to have enough doses in the country to vaccinate as many Kenyans as possible come December 2021.

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The owners under their organisation (BAHLITA) have pledged to abide by the law issued by the Ministry to contain the surge of COVID-19 even as they welcome the move by President Uhuru Kenyatta to lift the curfew. 

Frank Mbogo who is the chairman of the Nairobi branch of the Pubs, Entertainment and Restaurants Association of Kenya has noted that about 15000 bars were closed and 90000 jobs were lost because of the closure caused by the pandemic.

“We want to thank President Kenyatta for hearing the cries of Kenyans and lifting the nationwide curfew, we hope that with time, the 15000 bars that were forced to shut down will come back and the sector will thrive enough to get over 90000 who lost their livelihoods,” said Mbogo.