Gem MP Elisha Odhiambo has asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to lock all the international entry and exit to China to tame the coronavirus.
Odhiambo said no amount of business with China is worth the lives of Kenyans, hence the need to suspend anything to do with China at the moment.
“The country’s trade should not be confined to China alone at the expense of exposing our people to the coronavirus,” Odhiambo said.
Addressing journalists in Gem on Saturday, Odhiambo said the country is not in any capacity to deal with the coronavirus impact.
He asked President Kenyatta not to allow any Chinese to Kenya until they control the disease in their country.
“It not a lie that Kenyan is not prepared for such a virus and even when it means to lose business with China at the expense of saving lives, then so be it,” Odhiambo said.
The MP’s call comes a week after a patient of Chinese origin who works at a construction site in Ugunja was suspected to have been infected by the virus.
The patient was rushed at the Aga Khan Hospital in Kisumu and admitted to the isolation ward.
The MP also asked Uhuru to evacuate Kenyans stuck in China.
The virus has killed more than 2, 400 people and infected more than 78,000 others globally. Some 23,000 cases have recovered.
The Ministry of Health says the country is not in a position to test for the virus as they lack laboratory requirements.
Health CS Sicily Kariuki, however, said despite the county lacking laboratory requirements, they are prepared to fight the virus.
“The virus is said to have originated from bat meat and as a country, we do not consume this meat. So, it is highly unlikely that our foods can cause this virus,” Kariuki said.
WHO is in the process of facilitating more material and kits for preparedness.
