At least 17 MPs test positive for coronavirus

At least 17 legislators and several parliamentary staff have allegedly tested positive for coronavirus.

The lawmakers are among the over 52 members of the Senate and National Assembly who received their results from the Ministry of Health after taking the voluntary tests last week.

The National Assembly through its clerk Michael Sialai submitted the lawmakers’ names last week to the Ministry of Health for testing of the disease which has so far claimed six lives, with 172 reported cases in the country.

Among those who were subjected to testing and mandatory self-quarantine included members of two committees.

The two committees, with a combined membership of 38, held a joint sitting on March 17 in the presence of Rabai MP Kamoti Mwamkale, who has since tested positive.

Others included those who attended the burial of Msambweni MP Suleiman Dori on the March 9, where they came into contact with Kilifi Deputy Governor Gideon Saburi, who has since healed of coronavirus but has been charged for ignoring government’s directive for the mandatory 14 days of self-quarantine.

In the Senate, members who had travelled outside the country in the past 30 days were also tested and given back their results.

On March 17, Senate Majority Leader Senator Kipchumba Murkomen, while moving an adjournment motion revealed that some parliamentarians, who serve as commissioners of the Parliamentary Service Commission and staff were in the same flight from London to Nairobi with the fourth patient who has been confirmed to have Covid-19.

“The decision to adjourn the house was reached by PSC which is recommended to both Houses but it is not binding on us. We are not a conveyor belt to accept everything that comes from the PSC. But there is a story behind it,” Murkomen said.

He added: “The commission itself has scaled down staff, there is also information that many people had travelled and there was a lot of information in their coming back and self-quarantine.”

In an interview on Tuesday, Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka, although he did not want to confirm or deny the reports of members testing positive, indicated that the results for each and every legislator who took the Covid-19 test remains private and confidential.

“You know testing was voluntary and very confidential, the doctors give results to individual members even for the testing,” Lusaka said

He continued: “I can only talk of myself because I did the testing here together with my family and security. I know my results, that I am negative but for the rest of the members, they have been given results individually.”

“The only person who would know the status of who was tested is the individual and Ministry of Health. I cannot speculate or say it has happened,” he added.