Kenyan Medics Want Cabinet Secretaries Raychelle Omamo, James Macharia Charged with Attempted Mass Murder

Two Kenyan doctors have moved to court seeking to have Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo and her Transport counterpart James Macharia charged with attempted mass murder.

In documents filed in court on Friday, the two; Joseph Mithika and Cyprian Mwirabua accuse CS Omamo and Macharia of casually allowing into the country 239 passengers who arrived at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Wednesday aboard a Chinese flight amid fears of coronavirus outbreak.

The two particularly took issue with the government’s decision to advise the 239 passengers to self-quarantine for 14 days. The petitioners asked the court to issue an order compelling the two CSs and other respondents to put in place reasonable mechanisms to protect Kenyans from the dreaded disease.

They further want the court to order the respondents to block entry of anyone arriving in Kenyan by air, sea, and land from China or any other country classified as a hotspot.

Dr. Mithika told the court that the respondents should be held liable for putting at risk the lives of millions of Kenyans by casually letting in the 239 passengers. He said they should be charged with attempted mass murder, among others.

On Friday, the High Court ordered that all 239 passengers be quarantined at a Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) facility following a case filed by the Law Society of Kenya. Justice James Makau directed respondents in the case to trace all of them and isolate them either at a KDF facility or another specially guarded unit.

Justice Makau said the order applies to all passengers who arrived at JKIA aboard a Chinese flight CZ 6043 on Wednesday.