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Coronavirus Pandemic

National Assembly speaker Justin Muturi has broken his silence on reports indicating that six Members of Parliament have tested positive for Covid-19.

Muturi in a statement issued to newsrooms has dismissed claims that six MPs tested positive for coronavirus.

According to him, only two lawmakers tested positive and one of them has since been discharged from hospital and is in isolation.

“I wish to note that, as of today, June 30, 20120, far from the speculations reported in the media and elsewhere, information available to the Office of Speaker indicate that, we have two cases of the virus that have been reported among Members of Parliament,” he said in a statement.

His statement comes a day after a local publication reported that there were six MPs who were admitted to various hospitals after contracting the COVID-19 disease.

It was further reported that one of the allegedly ill MPs was in critical condition in an Intensive Care Unit.

However, on Tuesday, Speaker Muturi was categorical that media should desist from sensationalising the coronavirus cases in Parliament.

Muturi further stated that the other MP who is yet to be discharged from hospital has also been attended to and is now in stable condition in general ward care.

He noted that the Parliament has taken several steps to combat spread of the virus including limitation of the number of MPs accessing the chamber; designation of holding-areas for MPs; adoption of virtual sittings for committees where applicable as well as working-from-home measures for members of staff.

Kenya has reported an additional 176 cases of coronavirus with the total number of cases now at 6,366.

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Kenya has recorded 123 new Covid-19 positive cases, raising total number of confirmed cases in the country to 1471

This is after a total of 3,077 samples were tested in the last 24 hours. 85 of the new cases are in Nairobi and 24 from Mombasa.

In Nairobi, 33 Mathare residents were recorded as positive.

Three more people have died of Covid-19, raising the number to 55.

Speaking on Wednesday May 27, 2020 during the daily COVID-19 updates, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said that infection rate is now higher in informal settlements like Mathare (33) and Kibera (14).

He also warned Kenyans to be vigilant, citing that no one is currently safe since the cases are now coming from the community.

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As Covid-19 pandemic continues to bite more, Deputy President William Ruto has been distributing food among vulnerable families to cushion them from the effects of the pandemic.

Over the past weeks, the second in command alongside Kikuyu Member of Parliament Kimani Ichung’wah rolled out a programme that has seen thousands of Kikuyu constituency residents receive food donations.

The food donations are being distributed in carrier bags branded William Ruto Foundation and Kimani Ichung’wah.

However, there have been speculations that the donated food has affected several people, with some reports on social media indicating that the leaders have been distributing expired food that is not fit for human consumption.

“Several people have been affected in Kikuyu after eating relief food branded Ruto Foundation and Ichungwah; the MP has distanced himself from the food. They distribute rotten food but distance themselves,” popular blogger Abraham Mutai tweeted on Monday May 25, 2020.

However, the Kikuyu MP has come out to set the record clear.

Ichung’wah took to his social media pages to address the claims, arguing that someone is out there to tarnish DP Ruto’s name. He claims that there is some evil person who want to poison Kikuyu residents in the name of fighting him and DP Ruto.

He argued that there is a white landcruiser that has been moving in his constituency distributing the said food. The food stuffs are said to have been distributed in Gikambura area.

He says the food stuffs are not similar to the ones they have been distributing, citing that they have not been distributing anything openly on vehicles, on roads or stadiums.

According to Ichung’wah, DP Ruto’s donations are done through Known church leaders and from an identified list of beneficiaries identified by religious and Community leaders.

” IMPORTANT and URGENT.I have just been informed there was a white landcruiser at around 6PM distributing these food stuffs in Gikambura.

“These are NOT our food stuffs and we are not distributing anything openly and on vehicles on roads or stadiums and even the FAKE branding and items are NOT anything close to what we are distributing.All our interventions are done through your Known church leaders and from an identified list of beneficiaries identified by religious and Community leaders.

“Pls be cautious as EVIL people who are distributing these may poison people for politics! A family that consumed the sugar suspect it was poisonous as two of them have been treated after consuming it .Inform all your neighbors. Any support from our office will be delivered to your houses by your known neighbours and church leaders. To the EVIL CABAL, Shetani ashindwe! Why don’t you feed the hungry? Why poison people in the name of fighting us ? reads his post on Facebook.

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Health Director General Patrick Amoth  has said that they project that Kenya’s Covid-19 peak will hit in August, towards September.

During this period, the country is likely to record 200 cases and above on a daily basis.

Speaking on Thursday May 21 at Afya House during the Covid-19 daily briefing, Dr Amoth urged Kenyans to continue exercising social distancing and observing all the government directives.

“According to our current modelling, we project our peak will be around August-September where will be reporting about 200 cases per day,” Dr Amoth said.

The 200 cases that are set to be reported during the period will be only if Kenyans continue exercising the current measures that have been put by the government.

According to Dr Amoth, the measures that the government undertook at the time including closure of schools and cessation of movement in Nairobi and Mombasa  greatly reduced the spread of the virus.

Kenya’s Covid-19 cases have risen to 1,109, with 80 new cases recorded.

This is from a sample size of 3,102 tested in the last 24 hours. This is the largest sample size that has been tested.

Health CS Mutahi Kagwe on Thursday said Kenya has increased its testing capacity by 40 per cent in the last two weeks. Of the new cases, 41 are from Nairobi, while 20 are from Mombasa.A total of 13 new cases are from Kibera.

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Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has broken his silence on the ministry’s Ksh. 1 billion expenditure that had caused an uproar among Kenyans.

In a post on his Facebook page on Thursday evening, Kagwe said information on Coronavirus expenditure that has been circulated on social media is baseless and if there is any truth in it, he will take action.

The CS dismissed the information on how the ministry spent the Ksh 1 billion donated by world bank, that has hence gone viral as lies, innuendo and propaganda.

“Good Evening. I have debated posting tonight but am doing so because I read your comments and appreciate your sentiments and fears. As a Kenyan, I too have been disappointed by leaders who fail us for reasons that span inefficiency to corruption.

” The allegations you are seeing are based on this trend: public skepticism and pessimism. I get it. And so I am here to let you know that among us is a cohort that believes in exploitation and that thinks that by spreading lies, innuendo and propaganda, I will be intimidated and worse, lose the trust of you – – the Kenyan – – who believes in our cause and my integrity.

“They want us sidetracked. I am no greenhorn; I have seen such mischief before, wasn’t intimated then and will not be intimidated now. Watch my actions, they will illustrate this.

“The job at hand is simple: save lives in the most cost efficient way and accomplish this in collaboration with the people this position devotes me to: YOU.

“So, in pointing out the fakeness of the financial analyses making the circuit, I am sure that you will agree with me this is not the appropriate forum for me to delve into detailed accounting, balance sheets et all.

“But that is coming. You need transparency and will get it in a manner detailed enough for your critical analyses. Suffice it to say, there will be no theft of COVID-19 resources under my watch and if there is any truth regarding the misuse of COVID-19 funds, beyond being disheartened, I guarantee you that those responsible will be out of the ministry faster than we can blink. Propaganda or not, we, WILL sanitize the healthcare system…so God help us” he posted.

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Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has demanded documents over suspicious procurement of food and medical equipment—as well as hiking of prices, which have emerged as the most common avenues abused by corrupt county staff to skim off public resources.

A total of six counties are now on EACC radar over alleged misuse of funds meant to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

Among the six Counties is Bungoma, where common jerrycans used for carrying water were bought at Sh10,000 each, Kilifi over the Health ministry’s expenditure and a county in North Eastern Kenya where the probe has just began.

On Sunday, EACC executive officer Twalib Mbarak told a local daily he is focusing on claims of inflated prices, conflict of interest where unscrupulous officials are said to have awarded inflated tenders to relatives and cronies as well as cases where firms are supplying less than the agreed order.

“The expenditure is the most vulnerable where there are county officers who do not have integrity. They are taking advantage of the situation but we are tracking them and they should know that crime doesn’t expire.Even after the pandemic, we still go for them,” Mbarak told the local daily.

Further, the EACC is investigating claims of supply of substandard goods and services, and poor planning by counties, leading to wastage. For example, some county officials are installing too many sanitising jerrycans in public places without water and soap.

The purchases, Mbarak said, awere sanctioned by corrupt officials who detectives suspect are getting fat kickbacks from suppliers who are being picked through direct procurement and single sourcing.

The EACC chief said immediately coronavirus became a crisis, and with counties being deeply involved in mitigating the spread, the agency anticipated that corrupt officials could take advantage to steal public resources.

Yesterday, however, Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua defended county officials against accusations of using the pandemic to misappropriate funds, saying their actions were guided by Gazette Notice Number 53 signed on April 2 on asset disposal.

However, according to multiple sources, direct procurement and single sourcing which had been allowed since the pandemic broke, had opened avenues for corrupt officials including governors, to dish out business to their cronies and relatives.

The tenders mostly involve supply of foodstuff, medical supplies and equipment to promote hygiene such as hand washing containers and sanitisers and expenditure in health departments. 

To this effect, EACC sent a circular to Council of Governors chief executive Jacqueline Mogeni and copied it to Council of Governors chair Wycliffe Oparanya, asking counties to ensure corruption loopholes are sealed. 

“The commission will be keenly monitoring the utilisation and management of public resources by all county governments and State agencies to avert any loss or misuse of public resources during the current extra ordinary period,” said Mbarak’s letter, copied to the Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua.

But it appears the advice was ignored and some counties, which have been announcing that they had set aside millions to fight the pandemic by equipping hospitals, promoting hygiene and donation of food, are taking advantage of the virus to siphon public funds.

For instance, Bungoma county headed by Governor Wyclife Wangamati, allegedly bought 600 20-litre jerrycans at Sh10,000  each to distribute to residents in a hand washing drive, and the EACC boss said there are similar reports from other counties. 

In the Amason Kingi-led Kilifi county, Mbarak said they were probing tendering transactions in the Health department, noting that they had asked for relevant documents to facilitate investigations.

The North Eastern county, which Mbarak did not name, is said to have drafted a Sh450 million budget to fund Covid-19 activities, but according to the EACC chief, the itemisation does not make sense and could be a ploy to facilitate theft.

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Nyali Member of Parliament Mohammed Ali has made serious allegations after reports emerged that 17 MPs and Senators had tested positive for coronavirus.

The journalist-turned politician, through his social media handles on Wednesday morning, alleged that there are people who want to bypass the constitution so that they can siphon funds meant for the fight against coronvirus pandemic.

He says the siphoning of the funds is possible if the National Assembly will not be having sittings, for the people behind the plot to take over the role of the lawmakers, and run everything through decree.

The lawmaker goes ahead to makes claims that the perpetrators of the plot leaked the information about the 17 MPs who allegedly tested positive for COVID-19 so that they can prevent parliament from resuming.

He says that it is at this period of time that funds will now be stolen.

On Tuesday April 7, reports emerged that the 17 MPs who had tested positive are among the coronavirus cases that were confirmed on Monday and Tuesday.

This is after the lawmakers voluntarily took COVID-19 tests at parliament buildings following reports that one of their colleagues had contracted the virus.

Over 5 MPs had been scheduled to undergo the tests after interacting with Rabai MP Kamoti Mwamkale.

Mwamkale is said to have contracted the virus after coming into contact with Kilifi Deputy Governor Gideon Saburi who is said to have contacted the virus abroad. Saburi has since recovered from the virus but is currently in custody after he was arrested last week for failing to self-isolate.

Reports now indicate that more Members of Parliament and Senators have since been confirmed positive to the virus. The identities of the lawmakers who tested positive remain unknown but it is said that they are all those who came into contact with Kamoti.

So far 172 Corona-virus cases have been confirmed in the country. Six people have since succumbed to the deadly pandemic while 7 have fully recovered from it.

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