The Ministry of Health has said it is not aware of Members of Parliament who have tested positive of the Covid-19.
Chief Administrative Secretary Mercy Mwangangi on Wednesday said though they had seen reports in the media indicating that 17 MPs had tested positive, the ministry had not received any formal report of the matter.
"The ministry is aware of the reports in the media indicating a section of legislatures have tested positive, but as it stands now is that we have not received any formal report of the cases," she said.
According to Mwangangi, the ministry is embarking on rolling out mass testing in government institutions including the legislature and judiciary and only after such will they be able to layout on how the situation is.
She said the ministry will, however, adhere to confidentiality requirement while conducting the testing.
"We are asking all labs that are conducting testing to follow the due protocol in reporting be it positive or negative cases," she said.
So far Kenya has reported 179 positive cases after seven more cases were reported on Wednesday.
Earlier on it had been reported that panic had hit Parliament after reports emerged that 17 legislators and parliamentary staff tested positive for Covid-19.
According to multiple sources, the Ministry of Health told the Speakers to cancel the special sitting of both Houses because some of the MPs had tested positive.
A number of MPs were randomly tested last week and their results came out on Monday, causing panic and anxiety in the bicameral House.
“They are suspecting 17 Members of Parliament have been tested and turned positive. The information is not clear but it's members and staff. So that is the reason why the House was suspended,” a legislator said on condition of anonymity.
We cannot reveal their identities because it is against the law to reveal someone's health status without their permission.
A senator told the Star the Speaker made the late evening announcement to protect other members from contracting the disease.
Senators, Members of the National Assembly and staff have been undergoing voluntary tests for Covid in Parliament Buildings since last week.
More than 200 members who have undergone the test, including the Speakers, have been receiving their individual results from the Ministry of Health.
