Boycott 'irresponsible politicians' meetings - CS Kagwe

Health CS Mutahi Kagwe on Saturday asked people to boycott irresponsible politicians’ gatherings for posing infection dangers, as the highest number of infections hit 688.

The CS castigated senior and junior politicians in the country for allegedly leading by bad example by holding gatherings against the government’s directions where some have not been wearing masks and not maintaining social distancing.   

“It’s very irresponsible for some of our politicians who are supposed to show the people how to protect themselves from the virus and instead have been holding the gathering and violating the health rules,” Kagwe said.

He asked the residents to boycott such meetings noting that if one got the virus from the politicians or from the other persons in the gatherings the politicians will not even sympathize with them and will go about their political businesses unperturbed.

“They hold those meetings because you go to them but if today you decline to attend they won’t convene them again. It’s a pity to see the politicians behaving wrongly while you already know some have been positive of the virus and infected other people,” Kagwe added.

Kagwe said it is the responsibility of every person individually to take measures to protect himself or herself from the pandemic and other people and came up with a new slogan of, “You save me, I save you.”

At the same time, he condemned illicit brew producers for risking people with the virus and distributing it just like the conventional alcohol and said he will ask interior colleagues to crack them down.

He also rebuked miraa and muguka chewers whom he said were violating the health rules at will and didn’t ensure social distancing.

Kagwe said every person chewing miraa and muguka should chew it far from the other noting that those eating together might infect each other and remain to chew alone.

Kagwe said in the last 24 hours, the infection curve continued rising to the effect that in 24 hours, 688 new positive cases were recorded out of the tested 4,522 people terming this as disappointing and discouraging.

He expressed sorrow that three more people succumbed to the virus bringing the total number of the deaths from it to 225 and sent his heartfelt condolences to  their families.  

The CS who was speaking at the Embu Level Five Teaching and Referral Hospital in Embu, where he had gone to assess the county’s preparedness against the virus said by today a total number of 12,250 people had tested positive for the novel virus.

Kagwe, who was accompanied by among others Dr Patrick Amoth, Govenor Matin Wambora, Embu Senator Njeru Ndwiga, said cumulatively since the pandemic was reported in the country, 238,168 persons had been tested for the virus.

He added that out of the 688 new infections, 425 were male and 263 were female and that the youngest person who got the virus in the last 24 hours was a seven month old baby and the oldest is a 95-year-old person

The CS said Nairobi  led with 7,2 98, Mombasa 1817, Kiambu 725, and Tana River entered into the national Top hot  spots by recording 44 positive cases.

Kagwe said so far 44 counties out of the 47 have recorded positive cases and that only 3 that have not yet recorded cases and commended them over their efforts asking them to be more attentive in taking preventive measures.

He said 457 had recovered by today with 401 having been taking home based care and 56 were discharged from hospitals bringing the total number of discharges to 4,440.

Kagwe said Embu has had only two positive cases and hailed the county led by the Anti-Corona-virus combat committee led by Governor Wambora and County Commissioner Addullahi Galgalo for their successful efforts in containing the virus.