- Kaiti MP Joshua Kimilu said information available shows Covid-19 cases are rising every day.
- Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Jnr said that it will be very risky to host such a big number of delegates.
Makueni lawmakers have asked the government to consider postponing the seventh devolution conference to be held in Wote given the rising cases of Covid-19 infections.
The conference is scheduled to take place at Makueni Boys High School between August 23 and 26. It is expected to attract more than 5,000 delegates including President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto.
Speaking to The Star, Makueni MP Daniel Maanzo said the numbers of people with Covid-19 across Makueni county are not good. He said the government should consider moving the conference to a later date, probably a month to see if the cases will decline.
He said if the conference will take place as scheduled, there is a likelihood of more residents of Makueni county getting infected.
The Makueni lawmaker urged Governor Kivutha Kibwana to advise the government to push the conference back by a month.
"When the fourth wave is at its peak we can not have a conference here to kill our people. People who have been vaccinated are the worst carriers of Covid-19 and they can easily pass it to us," Maanzo said.
The host MP insisted that his electorate has told him they fear the conference will bring more harm than benefits.
"Delaying the devolution conference for a month doesn't mean that it will not take place," Maanzo said.
Kaiti MP Joshua Kimilu said information available shows Covid-19 cases are rising every day. He said people who have already been vaccinated have also suffered from Covid-19.
"Social distance is the best way to control the spread of this pandemic. This fourth wave is at its apex. If the cases keep on raising, please let the conference be postponed," Kimilu said.
Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Jnr said that it will be very risky to host such a big number of delegates during the fourth wave of the pandemic.
He said leaders in that region were "extremely uncomfortable" over the meeting. He said what should have been prioritised was vaccination.
Mutula added that there is a possibility that the Makueni county health department will not be able to manage the Covid-19 cases surge after the devolution conference.
"You cannot get the first and second Covid-19 jab as at now because the period is very short. Let's move this conference for a month to save our people, please," the senator said.
However, Governor Kibwana said the devolution conference is not under his control but lies with the national government and the Council of Governors.
According to the Makueni County Health Department Report on Covid-19 Status released on July 31, some 1,286 people have tested positive for the virus since the beginning of the pandemic.
The report indicates that 98 people have so far succumbed to Covid-19, a fatality rate of 7.6 per cent. County chief officer for health Dr Patrick Musyoki has insisted that vaccination and Covid-19 protocols are the way to go.
"Our biggest and easiest escape route out of this pandemic is vaccinating as many people as possible to achieve herd immunity," he said.
"Kindly ignore all the negative propaganda on the Covid-19 vaccines being peddled around by some ignorant and malicious people," Musyoki said.
He said so far the department has inoculated more than 8,000 people and none has had any adverse effect following the jab.
Edited by Henry Makori