Listen to This Article Enhance your reading experience by listening to this article.

Mercy Mwai @wangumarci

The government yesterday said it is engaging World Health Organisation (WHO) to be able to expand its monitoring and surveillance on visitors coming in the country from Italy, Iran and Korea.

Kenya has taken the decision  after cases of coronavirus were recorded in the said countries.

The government also disclosed that  it is yet to make a decision on  whether to evacuate the 91 students and nine acrobats  in Wuhan, China.

National Emergency Response Committee (NERC) chaired by Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said part of the measures being considered include having certification issued to travellers entering the country after it became apparent that the virus was spreading to other countries apart from China.

Wholistic manner

In addition, Kagwe also said his team  is  working with other countries in the East African region to address the issue of the virus in a wholistic manner.

Addressing a news conference at the footsteps of Harambee House, Kagwe said  Kenya would push for self-quarantine in case the country records high cases of virus even as he said the country is now in a position to test the virus through Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) and International Influenza Centre.

 “Our efforts must be adjusted and I can tell you that we are working with the international organisations particularly WHO to see how we can widen our surveillance because this issue is no longer only in China but it is spreading. What we see us doing more is demanding for certification of travellers,” he said.

“If we can get a certification of people from all the exit route this will be well with us, I want to tell you that we are taking every measure being taken globally very seriously,” he added.

 The CS also said that in consultation with the Council of Governors (CoG) they have started emergency centers as there is no guarantee that the virus will not spreads to counties.

He said as per President Uhuru Kenyatta’s directive, they have started engagement on how to set up centers in both Level Four and Five hospitals.

Kagwe who was accompanied by several Cabinet Secretaries and Principle Secretaries however said that the issue of the students stuck in Wuhan that is under lock is still on the negotiating table due to the risks involved.

He said that the government will this week send Sh10 million to add to the Sh7 million that it sent last week. 

“We have not forgotten that we have students in Wuhan. We are monitoring and watching our children.

We have sent them some Sh10 million. However, on the issue of evacuation, we are still consulting our embassy in China and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs due to the high risk involved,” he said.

While warning Kenyans spreading fake messages that they are being monitored by both the police and Ministry of Information and Communication as it is a criminal offense, Kagwe said they have the details, phone numbers and location of all the 239 Chinese nationals that came into the country on last Wednesday aboard a China flight.

 He reminded Kenyans not to victimise other nationals in the country because of their race based on the fact that there are 3,000 Kenyans in China at the moment.