Kisumu residents have reacted harshly to the calls by the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) for volunteers to be infected with the malaria parasite in return for cash. 

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A large number of volunteers will be screened for 200 suitable candidates to be chosen for this exercise. The selected few will be infected with the parasite for 24 days during which they will be monitored to identify how different people are able to resist this parasite.

This is not the first time such a research is being carried out in Kenya. In 2016, a similar experiment was done on 105 volunteers in Kilifi, Mombasa. This year, areas to be covered are Nairobi for Central Kenya and Kisumu for Western region.

However, the calls were received with both negative and positive concerns from Kisumu residents. For those who got carried away with the amount offered, this was a nice deal to go with. However, a large population found this unethical. 

Here are some reactions:

ivaselectoromollo: Kenya will always be unfair to its people. Why don’t they take sick people from hospitals and put them under that extermination?

@otislilyne: The research needs volunteers. I don’t know why it’s such a big issue. Though, why don’t the government use already sick people of malaria?

mishyidi: Kwani research iliyofanywa Kilifi hikua na matokeo mazuri ama? Ivi yamaanisha ni try and error wanataka fanya kwa wakenya. 

oyugishumprey: mimi izo pesa siezi acha. Nataka kwanza nikue successful candidate nikule izo pesa. Pesa mbele mambo mengine baadaye.

otismussa: instead of doing research to treat people from malaria, why don’t they stop the cause! Kill all mosquitoes or kill all their ways of multiplication? That’s the surest way to end this menace. Stop taking us for a ride.