"The fact that this matter was circulating in the media and the Government failed to address it openly leaves the public with more questions than answers," Bishop Wainaina noted in his May 7 statement.
According to the Daily Nation, the principal local investigator in the study, Dr. Loice Achieng Ombajo, said her team's submissions have been approved by a government ethics committee, and are now awaiting final approval from two additional government oversight boards.
"If the two agencies of research mentioned in the Nation Newspaper have already obtained initial approvals, it would be important for our Government to tell Kenyans how they got the approvals," the bishop said.
"In the spirit of our Constitution, was there any public participation or approval by Parliament?"
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The bishop urged "authorities to take the necessary steps, even to deny such agencies entry into our country to carry out trials of vaccines and drugs until the safety of Kenyans and their dignity are guaranteed."
He pleaded with Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta "not to allow any medical practice, whether by local or foreign agencies, that would compromise the dignity of Kenyan citizens."
As of May 14, Kenya had recorded 758 cases of COVID-19, including 284recoveries and 42 deaths. There are at least 76,000 confirmed cases across Africa, while at least 4.5 million have been infected globally.
"Kenya is not the worst hit country in Africa and in the world," the bishop noted.
"One is left wondering about the wisdom of choosing Kenya as the testing ground for the vaccines and drugs."
A version of this story was first published by ACI Africa, CNA's African news partner. It has been adapted by CNA.