4 MPs speak out on their Covid-19 test results

Kibra MP Imran Okoth and Murang’a Senator Irungu Kangata have dismissed a list that has been circulating online purporting that they are among the 17 MPs who have tested positive for coronavirus even as some MPs called for the naming of the affected amid the panic.

Kibra MP Okoth, his Soy counterpart Caleb Kositany and Caleb Amisi (Saboti), who are also among those named in the list, shared their respective test results that showed that they don’t have Covid-19.

The four MPs have termed the list as fake and malicious.

 “Please ignore any list doing rounds out there (purporting that I am positive of the virus). May the Almighty God continue guiding us in the right path,” the Kibra MP said.

Senator Kang’ata, who is also the Senate Deputy Majority Whip, said that he has not been out of the country recently and that he has not been tested for Covid-19.

“I am surprised that some people have cooked a list of 17 Members of Parliament whoM they claim received results from a laboratory confirming they are positive of the virus and that I am one of them,” said the senator.

The senator said it was wrong for people to play around with such a serious pandemic by spreading false information about the ailment.

Panic and anxiety have engulfed Parliament after at least 17 legislators and tens of parliamentary staff allegedly tested positive for Covid-19.

“Dear CS Mutahi Kagwe. If its true 17 MPs have tested positive for coronavirus, it is only fair you release the names so that Kenyans who have interacted with them can rush for testing. An MP by the nature of their jobs can infect up to 3,000 people so we are looking at 50,000 infections arising from MPs,” Kuria said.

The legislators are among 52 members of the Senate and National Assembly who received their results on Tuesday, April 8, 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.

Among those who were subjected to test and mandatory quarantine included members of the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee and the Delegated Legislation Committee.

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 March 9 and 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.