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Mercy Mwai @wangumarci

Pilots and captains have been instructed to get details of all passengers’ country of origin, including those on transit,  following the outbreak of the coronavirus. 

Passengers, particular those coming from China, Italy, Iran and South Korea, will also be required to give details of their travel history, dates of arrival, areas of  stay while in the country and their phone numbers  for monitoring and surveillance by the Ministry of Health.

Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia and Interior Principal Secretary told MPs that Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) has been ordered to ask pilots to prepare a figure manifest indicating the country of origin of the passengers. 

“We have made a directive to KCAA to issue an order that an airline carrying passengers should know where they are coming from. We have told captains to give us details of passengers on transit now that Kenya is a hub,” said Macharia 

The directive came even as the government said it is yet to implement the court order requiring them to quarantine the 239 Chinese nationals who jetted in to the country last week.

Although it termed the actions by the whistle blower who filmed the aircraft carrying the passengers as  “criminal” it was quick to point out that it has all the contacts and details of the passengers, adding none of them is infected with the virus as they have all been cleared by the Ministry of Health.

Appearing before a joint Health committee of the Senate and National Assembly chaired by Murang’a county MP Sabina Chege (Health, National Assembly) and Trans Nzoia Senator Michael Mbito (Senate, Health), Macharia, who assured that all flights to China had been stopped, said that the government is keeping a watch on Rome and will not be hesitant to issue travel bans should it record high cases of coronavirus.

But committee members present, including Seme MP Dr. James Nyikal, accused the government of not being adequately prepared after Health CS Mutahi Kagwe declined to appear before the committee for the second day in a row.