Nyamira County Assembly has been closed and all in-person meetings suspended.
In an internal memo on Monday, speaker Moffat Teya said the decision was taken to comply with the government’s directives on curbing the spread of Covid-19.
There is already one case in the county assembly and contact tracing is ongoing.
“Following the escalating spread of Covid-19 across the country and the President's directive that all Kenyans take personal precaution in fighting the continued spread of the virus, there has been consultations on how we can cushion our assembly from the fatal effects of this scourge,” read the statement.
The statement further noted that the expert projection by the Ministry of Health indicated that August and September would be the peak of infections in the country, and extra caution should be taken.
Acknowledging the government's efforts to contain the pandemic, the speaker noted that more needs to be done to win the war in the county.
As a further precautionary measure, the county assembly resolved that there will be no physical meetings in the county assembly precincts effective August 3.
Any county assembly meetings shall be held virtually except urgent legislative activities that might require physical presence.
Also, access to the county assembly precincts will only be sanctioned by the speaker where there is a dire need. The clerk has been directed to ensure necessary compliance.
The measures will be reviewed after 21 days upon further evaluation of the situation, Teya said.
Additionally, the clerk has been directed to liaise with the Health Services department to take necessary action in ensuring that MCAs and staffers are tested and the county assembly precincts and chambers are regularly fumigated for use.
Edited by EKibii
