38 Kenyan MPs to be Tested for Covid-19 After Interacting with Infected Colleague

At least 38 MPs believed to have come into contact with a coronavirus patient are set to be tested for the illness.

This comes after the National Assembly submitted to the Health Ministry a list of 50 people comprising MPs and parliamentary staff who interacted with Rabai MP William Mwamkale Kamoti, who has tested positive for Covid-19.

Mwamkale is said to have been infected with the virus after he came into contact with Kilifi Deputy Governor Gideon Saburi, who was also diagnosed with the disease after returning from a trip to Germany and failing to self-quarantine for 14 days. 

It emerged that MP Mwamkale was in parliament on March 17th, days after interacting with Saburi during a burial in Kilifi County, Daily Nation reports.

While in parliament, he is reported to have had contact with members of two parliamentary committees namely; Justice and Legal Affairs (JLAC) and Delegated Legislation. 

The two House committees, in which Mwamkale is a member, have a total of 38 members. There is also parliamentary staff attached to the two committees.

“Parliament has since notified the Ministry of Health to trace and subject the people the MP may have interacted with,” a senior parliamentary official told Daily Nation.

As of Monday, Kenya had confirmed 50 cases of COVID-19, one fatality, and two recoveries.