• Any institution of entertainment operating a minute beyond the hours they are supposed to operate will have their licenses withdrawn
• Eight suspected cases tested in the last 24 hours have turned out negative.
Image: COURTESY
The Cabinet chaired by President Uhuru Kenyatta has warned people spreading fake news on the Coronavirus saying that they will be dealt with in accordance with established laws.
Uhuru directed law enforcement agencies to pursue and arrest those individuals.
The disease has so far killed over 9000 people with seven cases confirmed in Kenya.
This comes minutes after Health CS Mutahi Kagwe said those who are spreading malicious rumours about Coronavirus on social media will be arrested.
Speaking during a press briefing at Afya House on Thursday, Kagwe said that those giving false information will be arrested and since they want to report about Coronavirus,
"We will oblige them by taking them to Mbagathi Hospital where they can report the matter because that is where the issues of Coronavirus can be handled."
"I want to appeal to members of the public to desist from any form of misinformation from social media. We have heard people talking about locking down Nairobi, sending people home, deploying the military, things that have come from nowhere. These things must stop."
Kagwe also appealed to members of the press to make this very obvious and highlight this matter.
Entertainment areas and joints have been advised to stick to maintaining levels of cleanliness, sanitation and handwashing and to stick to the hours to operate.
"Any institution of entertainment operating a minute beyond the hours they are supposed to operate will have their licenses withdrawn," Kagwe warned.
During the press briefing, he also said that eight suspected cases tested in the last 24 hours have turned out negative.
He said the citizens are being processed for discharge. But he noted that the government has so far screened over 600,000 people who have entered Kenya.
During the cabinet meeting, the Cabinet directed security and consumer protection agencies to intensify the ongoing crackdown on businesses that are taking advantage of the outbreak to hoard and/or hike commodity prices.
The cabinet further tasked the multi-agency team on contraband goods to release 400,000 litres of ethanol held as exhibit material to manufacturers for the blending of hand sanitizers for distribution to the public.
The sanitisers will be distributed for free to Kenyans as part of the government measures to control the spread of coronavirus in the country.