The Senate ad hoc committee on Covid-19 will rank counties based on their preparedness to deal with the pandemic, chairman Johnston Sakaja has said.
Sakaja said the committee will visit all counties before they write a report on the best-prepared counties and the least.
He said county governments require support from the state in terms of resources, training, personal protective equipment and testing.
Sakaja said there were challenges in devolved units on testing and they needed support from the national government.
He spoke when he visited Meru Level 5 Hospital to check the county's preparedness for Covid-19. He was accompanied by other members of the committee and Meru Senator Mithika Linturi.
The Nairobi senator said they had a fruitful meeting and agreed on areas where Kiraitu Murungi's administration should improve.
The committee is mandated to oversight measures taken by the national and county governments to stop the spread and effects of Covid-19 in the country.
Meru deputy governor Titus Ntuchiu said they were well prepared to combat the pandemic.
He said Meru had set aside 124-bed isolation and treatment facilities at Meru Level 5 Hospital, Nyambene Level 4 Hospital, Maua Mission Hospital and Mboroga health centre.
“In the next two weeks or so following the directive by President Kenyatta that every county should have a minimum of 300-bed isolation facility, we will have 124-bed isolation centres," he said.
Senator Linturi called on miraa traders and motorcyclists to exercise caution when handling and transporting the crop to avert the spread of the disease.
"Yesterday I spotted a miraa pickup ferrying 50 people without masks and when I took a photo they fled. Please let us keep safe and be responsible enough," the senator said.
Edited by Henry Makori
