New trend emerges as leaders bravely declare Covid status
George Kebaso @Morarak
Several leaders have come out to declare their Covid -19 status in a move geared towards sensitising the public about the dangers of the disease and reduce stigma associated with it.
In the latest testimony, Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria took to social media on Wednesday to reveal that he has been hospitalised for the last 27 days after testing positive for the virus.
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“I hope that beyond all the debate around Covid-19, all and sundry will not forget that coronavirus is real.
The worst thing we can do is to lower our guard! And above all, let us remember our gallant front line workers.
Not just doctors and nurses but also subordinate staff who put their lives in the line of danger to give care to coronavirus patients,” he said on a Facebook post.
He also posted photos of himself lying in a hospital bed at the Karen Hospital in Nairobi.
Kuria called on Kenyans to be careful and behave responsibly even as the curve appears to be flattening.
“If you are in a hospital bed like myself for the last 27 days here at Karen Hospital, you will learn to focus more on the virus and our frontline workers, and less on sideshows,” he added.
Kuria’s revelation follows that of his Dadaab counterpart Mohamed Dahir Duale , who recounted his near fatal experience from the coronavirus disease.
The MP recounted how he spent a total of 42 days in hospital after contracting the killer disease, 35 of which he spent in isolation while the rest were spent at the Intensive Care Unit.
The MP spoke during a session of the National Assembly Health Committee in the company of Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe.
“I want to admit that I suffered from coronavirus. I spent 42 days in hospital.
I thank God for our employer-the Parliamentary Service Commission for paying my bill which amounted to almost Sh4 million. I wonder how other Kenyans are managing,” Dahir said.
“I didn’t know that it was that bad Mheshimiwa, but I thank God you are well, Kenyans need to know that this thing is real,” said Kagwe.
On Monday, former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu failed to appear for the hearing of his case because he had tested positive for Covid-19.
Through his lawyer John Swaka, Waititu said he has been unwell since last week and after doing the test , which turned positive, he was told to self-isolate for 14 days.
Magistrate Thomas Nzioki adjourned the case but ordered State Counsel Nicholas Mutuku to do a background check on the authenticity of the results.
On August 13, Agriculture Principal Secretary Hamadi Boga came out publicly about his Covid-19 status after 32 days in isolation at home.
“Dear Family, friends, neighbours, Fellow Kenyans. Here I am. Still alive. I am doing okay.
I have finished self-isolating at home after 32 days since I first experienced Covid-19 symptoms. I did a retest and thank God it came out negative,” Boga wrote.
Before these revelations, several high profile Kenyans had been rumoured to have contracted the disease but did not go public about their status.
On June 30, 2020 for instance, it was reported that two MPs were among the 6,366 Kenyans that had tested positive for the disease.
