How mini polls turned into Covid superspreader events
Residents queue to vote at Mlimani Primary School during the London Ward by-election on March 4, 2021.
What you need to know:
- Nakuru County has recorded 7,332 confirmed cases and 197 deaths since outbreak last year.
- Jubilee nominated MP Maina Kamanda said he contracted Covid-19 during the Hell’s Gate campaigns.
For a month, politicians campaigning for various candidates in the March 4 London and Hells’ Gate wards by-elections went about business as usual, holding public rallies and door-to-door meetings.
The dust has now settled, and they are coming down one after the other with Covid-19.
Details have emerged of how a number of politicians involved in the campaigns have been secretly battling the virus weeks after the polls.
In an exclusive interview with the Nation on Saturday, Jubilee nominated MP Maina Kamanda said he contracted Covid-19 during the Hell’s Gate campaigns.
“I know of several other leaders who’re also ill, some from Nakuru and others [from] Nairobi. Si Maina Kamanda pekee, tulipata wengi, lakini wengine wamekuwa wakiogopa kuongea (It’s not just me, others are afraid to speak out),” the MP said at his Ol Kalou home in Nyandarua county.
“During our campaigns in Naivasha, we spent nights there, interacted with people,and I think that is how we contracted the virus, “the lawmaker added.
His confession follows similar revelations by Naivasha MP Jayne Kihara, who was actively involved in the campaigns for Hell’s Gate United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate Jonathan Warothe.
“I initially thought that the fatigue was simply a result of the gruelling campaign schedule and would wear off,” Mrs Kihara said.
But after days of rest without much improvement, she decided to seek medical help.
“I got tested and to my utmost shock was confirmed Covid-19-positive. It was the last thing I expected, “the MP told the Nation.
As she was only mildly ill, the MP was allowed to recuperate at home.
Battling the disease
Her health later deteriorated and she was admitted to The Karen Hospital in Nairobi.
She is now recuperating at her Nairobi home after being discharged from hospital, where she endured harrowing moments when she feared for her life.
“I’ve endured a very difficult time battling the disease. People need to be careful,” Mrs Kihara said.
She added that her medical team was forced to call several health facilities looking for bed space before she finally got one at The Karen Hospital.
“Most of the facilities are full and have no capacity to handle the increasing numbers and the situation is worsening,” she said.
“Initially, I didn’t disclose the results to anyone apart from a few of my friends,” she told the Nation. The leaders are now asking Kenyans to strictly adhere to the Ministry of Health guidelines put in place to contain the spread of the disease amid a deadly third wave of new infections.
“Politicians should look for better ways of going about their campaigns without endangering their lives. This disease is lethal,” Mr Kamanda said.
A source, who requested anonymity, told the Nation that several MPs and MCAs are currently battling the virus.
“The campaigns were held in total disregard of Covid-19 regulations. Politicians freely interacted with the electorate and this certainly led to a surge in infections,” the source said.
Surge in Covid infections
The revelations come amid a surge in Covid-19 cases in Nakuru County, where some 7,332 positive cases have been confirmed since March 30,2020, when the country recorded its first case of the coronavirus disease.
The county has recorded 197 deaths since the outbreak of the disease.
Concerns have been raised over the rising numbers of patients in need of critical care in the county, which shot up from 14 to about 100 in a span of three weeks.
Health Executive Gichuki Kariuki described the surge in Covid-19 deaths as worrying.
Governor Lee Kinyanjui last week revealed that all the intensive care unit (ICU) beds in the region are occupied.
Nakuru has also lost two senior government officials to Covid-19 complications, leading to the suspension of operations at the county headquarters for 30 days.
The county administration’s deputy director of political affairs, Senior Sergeant (Retired) Wilfred Chebochok, succumbed to Covid-19 on March 16.
And Public Health Chief Officer Samuel King’ori also died from the disease days later while undergoing treatment at the Aga Khan University Hospital.
