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

A confirmation on Monday that four State House staff had tested positive for Covid-19 has sent shock waves across the country. 

The report, however, came with a rider that the President and the First family were  Corona free.

The four were captured during testing carried out on June 11 and are undergoing treatment. 

But the fact that the virus is now reported at such places which are highly regulated in terms of movement and visitation shows the disease is no respecter of status.

Globally, it has infected prime ministers, health ministers, vice presidents, first ladies, royalty and top government officials. In Kenya, infections have reached 3,850 with 105 fatalities.

We shudder to think that persons working in close proximity to the Head State could have dropped the ball and disregarded safety protocols.

While it is critical to protect every single Kenya from Corona, it would be important that the President, who is the frontline in the fight against the virus, is insulated from exposure.

This is why we urge that activities at State House be scaled down—and if there must be some, then safety measures be strictly enforced. 

 Of particular alarm, has been the heightened political gatherings; Parliamentary Group meetings for senators and members of the National Assembly. There were also the Labour and Madaraka events held at the venue.

The other threat are the highly mobile Cabinet secretaries and State bureaucrats who by virtue of their duties come in contact with the President. 

It is also emerging that the political elite for some reason seems to think that they are in the essential service category and have a right to travel the length and breadth of the country holding meetings that clearly flout every clause in the anti-Corona safety manual.

For instance, recent gatherings by leaders to ostensibly mobilise people to back the Building  Bridges Initiative should stop.

Politicians are emerging as the weakest link in the fight to curb the spread of the disease.

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe should call them out in his briefings before they morph into super spreaders.  They are not above the law, which has been overzealously applied on ordinary Kenyans.

Ultimately, all Kenyans must live with the fact that the surest way to stop Covid-19 is to respect the safety protocols.