Kenyan President Urges His Citizens To Abstain From Sex For 2 Years In Order To Curb AIDS

Jet, July 30, 2001

President Daniel arap Moi, leader of Kenya, recently urged his fellow countrymen to abstain from sex for at least two years to slow down the spread of AIDS.

Moi's plea to the people came as he announced the government's plan to import 300 million condoms for free distribution to fight the deadly disease.

During a meeting of the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya, Moi said, "As president, I am shy that I am spending millions of shillings importing those things."

The cost of the condoms (about $14 million) and the objections by religious leaders who believe that the distribution will only encourage promiscuity, prompted President Moi to urge his fellow Kenyans not to have sex. He suggested that the people abstain from sex for two years. A move that he said would save a generation.

It is estimated that in a population of 30 million approximately 700 Kenyans die of AIDS on a daily basis. More than 2 million men and women, or about one in 15 of the population, are infected with HIV.

President Moi recently said that people who knowingly spread the AIDS virus should be executed because contracting HIV meant a death sentence and to infect another person was murder.

President Moi said to London's The Guardian newspaper, "The time has come for those who deliberately infect others to die ..."

Until 1999 President Moi was criticized by AIDS activist and medical officials for not talking about AIDS. Later that year he declared AIDS a national emergency.

"HIV-AIDS is the greatest challenge facing our nation today and no effort should be spared in fighting this menace," said President Moi.