Kenyan Governor Mike Sonko, has stirred controversies after he added bottles of alcohol, precisely Hennessy, to his COVID-19 care packages to the people of Nairobi.
The Governor of Nairobi also misquoted the World Health Organization (WHO) by quoting the body as saying alcohol plays a major role in killing the coronavirus. Sonko, the governor of the Kenyan capital city, confirmed in a viral video that his packages included a few small bottles of Hennessy. He justified his decision to include alcohol as “throat sanitizer.”
“We will have some small bottles of Hennessy in the food packs that we will be giving to our people,” he said. “I think from the research conducted by the World Health Organization and various organizations, it's been believed that alcohol plays a major role in killing the coronavirus.”
However, WHO had explicitly said that the consumption of alcohol doesn't protect against coronavirus, and advises people to minimize its intake. WHO on Tuesday said that alcohol can weaken the health of an individual and make them more vulnerable to viruses including coronavirus.
Also refuting the Governor’s claim, Hennessy said in a statement to Nairobi news, “Hennessy would like to stress that the consumption of our brand or any other alcoholic beverage doesn't protect against the virus.”