The Kitui Catholic priest who returned to the country and flouted self-quarantine rules was on Saturday night spirited to the Mbagathi isolation centre by authorities.
A team of medical staff backed by security personnel called at Fr Nicholas Maanzo’s home at Kiara village in Misewani Location of Kitui central sub-county at around 11pm and took him away in an ambulance.
A top Kitui security authority said that he was taken to Mbagathi for examination to establish if he was infected with Covid-19.
The priest, who returned to Kenya from Ireland on Monday, was instructed to go into self-quarantine but instead ventured out of his house on Tuesday night and visited an ATM dispenser at the Kitui town's Asba bank branch. He even tried to access supermarket but was not allowed because it was about to close.
The following Wednesday, Kitui central sub county CID boss Nzioka Singi visited the priest and reprimanded him for flouting the stringent quarantine rules. He even threatened him with arrest but the priest continued the uncanny behaviour.
“You are just lucky that you do not show any signs of illness. Health officers have confirmed that your temperature is okey and you do not suffer from illness. But you must know that you committed a serious mistake by leaving you home to go to town,” Singi told the priest.
Although the priest was left in the comfort of his home following Singi’s team visit, government officers returned on Saturday and transferred him to Mbagathi in the night. Some people claimed that his health had deteriorated.
“We took him away to Mbagathi for tests. He is only a suspect (of Covid-19), until we get the official results. He had some symptoms, that is the reason a decision to refer him to Mbagathi was reached,” said an official who was involved.
James Katimo, the chief of Changithya East, where Fr. Maanzo home is, said he visited the priest's home to establish how he was fairing only to find he had been taken away in the night without his knowledge.
The priest house-help, Joseph Wakhugu, said Father Maanzo called him on phone at around 11pm on Saturday and told him he was leaving for Nairobi.
