Former Bomet Governor Isaac Rutto has opposed the move by the government to set temporary convert selected boarding schools institutions as isolation centres in the war on Covid-19.
Rutto argues that the schools are likely to be stigmatised once the country overcomes the calamity.
Rutto has instead called on the state to identify locations in each of the 47 counties and deploy Kenya Defence Forces to put up prefabricated structures for use in case of any contingency.
He said the option of using schools can only become unavoidable when the issue worsens and time runs out.
"Now that we still have enough time, we can put the centres to be used in managing the situation,” Rutto told reporters on Sunday.
“Let the issue of schools be the last resort. If we convert schools as centres for treating Covid-19 patients, children will develop a bad attitude towards their schools and might not go there anymore even if they are told the disease has gone,” he added.
The Chama Cha Mashinani party leader told the relevant ministries to act swiftly and release funds for putting up the facilities, which he said can be completed in the shortest time possible.
He pointed out that since KDF require the approval of Parliament, MPs should use the opportunity they have set to resume and discuss key issues related to the pandemic to sanction their deployment.
He also called for the abolition of ‘unnecessary’ procurement procedures which noted have hampered the budget process on the release of funds towards the acquisition of essential services and equipment to help in battling the pandemic.
“Extraordinary times require extraordinary measures. Such unnecessary processes at this point in time should be bypassed because what is of great importance are the lives of Kenyans,” he added.
Rutto at the same time urged President Uhuru Kenyatta to order for a total lockdown to ensure the disease is not spread further since most people have failed to heed the calls for social distancing and needless travel.
“We have seen such proposal working well in other countries and for us to curb the further spread of the disease in the country, we need to have restrictions of movements, especially by vehicles," he said.
Edited by E.Kibii
