Deputy governor of Kilifi fully recovers from Covid-19 but awaits to be charged for exposing others

NAIROBI—The deputy governor of Kilifi County has recovered from the Coronavirus infection, but awaits to be charged for declining to self-isolate and exposing members of the public to the pandemic, the Cabinet Secretary for Health Mutahi Kagwe said on Thursday.

The DG, Gideon Saburi was declared fit after he was subjected to three tests to ascertain if he was still positive.

“All the tests turned negative. Naturally, the issue of the law will now follow up with him,” Mutahi said during his daily briefing at Afya House in Nairobi.

Saburi had tested positive on Sunday, March 22, weeks after arriving in the country from Germany through Amsterdam on March 6.

He refused to self-isolate and came into contact with a number of people, which caused an uproar among Kenyans.

Saburi is reported to have met a group of MCAs on March 7 at Royal Hotel in Mazeras to discuss preparations for International Women’s Day celebrations that were to be held in Rabai.

He also attended the burial of the late former Deputy Governor Kenneth Kamto’s bodyguard on the same date and was reportedly sighted at a night club in Bamburi, Mombasa on March 19.

“I am very remorseful for bringing anxiety on coronavirus spread in Kilifi County and the entire country, and hope that people will find a heart to forgive me,” Mr Saburi told the Saturday Nation on phone during his sixth day of quarantine at the Coast General Hospital where he was held.

He added: “I am a responsible person. I am a leader, a family man and a mentor to many. I did not do this on purpose.”

The deputy governor dismissed reports that have painted him as a selfish and irresponsible leader for refusing to quarantine himself for 14-days upon his return.

Kenya has recoded an additional 29 positive cases of Covid-19 since Wednesday and toll now stands at 110.

Speaking during his daily news conference at the Afya House in Nairobi, the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Mutahi Kagwe revealed that the country is bracing for more shocking number in few days.

The new patients include 28 Kenyans and a Congolese.

“This numbers will unfortunately only increase,” Kagwe said, adding that two more people in quarantine—one in Nairobi and another in Mombasa—have since died of the disease.

During the briefing, the CS unveiled a new measure to curb the spread of the deadly virus. He announced that all public transport users will be required to wear face masks when travelling.

“Plans are under way for distribution of face masks in the counties at fair prices,” he said.

Kagwe insisted on maintaining high standards of hygiene and keeping a safe distance of one-meters, saying infection now a reality than most Kenyans would want to believe.

“Don’t go out of the house unless it’s essential,” he urged.

Of the 29 new cases, 13 are male while 16 female. The CS said that 23 who tested positive were already in quarantine while 6 were in isolation units.

“23 of the confirmed cases were detected in the designated quarantine facilities while six are from suspected cases in isolation units. The ages of the confirmed cases range between ages 16-64,” Kagwe said.

He warned that the cases are going to rise exponentially in the coming days, asking Kenyans to remain calm and follow the set guidelines by the Health Ministry.

The government has tested 662 samples within the last 24 hours, of which 29 turned out positive.