City officials go into self-quarantine after Dubai trip

Nairobi County officials Larry Wambua (left) Anne Mwenda who are in self-quarantine after returning from a trip to Dubai. PHOTOS | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • At State House, the officers together with other CECs, met with the head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua.
  • The team was to meet with President Uhuru Kenyatta but he was not present.
  • Ms Mwenda defended herself saying she was tested in Dubai.

Two senior Nairobi City County government officers have gone into self-quarantine after returning from Dubai last week.

The two are Environment Executive Larry Wambua and deputy governor nominee Anne Mwenda, who also doubles as Disaster Management and Coordination chief officer and acting Water chief officer.

The two were part of a team that met Governor Mike Sonko at his Upper Hill private office before proceeding to a meeting at State House on Sunday.

STATE HOUSE MEETING

At State House, the officers together with other CECs and chief officers whose functions have been affected by the takeover of county government functions by the national government, met with the head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua.

The team was to meet with President Uhuru Kenyatta but he was not present.

Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) Director General Mohamed Abdala Badi and his deputy Enosh Momanyi were also present at the meeting.

"If the two test positive then it will be chaos as we have been having daily meetings with the NMS team at Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) and Harambee House handing over reports and budgets," said one city officer who has interacted with the two.

When reached, Ms Mwenda said they returned from a conference in Dubai on Tuesday and went into self-quarantine before attending the State House meeting.

TESTED IN DUBAI

She defended herself saying she was tested in Dubai and had also been in self-quarantine before leaving for the State House meeting.

The chief officer also said they kept social distancing before and during the meetings.

"I was tested in Dubai and when I arrived I went into self-quarantine until we were told we were urgently needed at State House,” Ms Mwenda said.

She added that she has been in her house since returning from the State House meeting.

Ms Mwenda insisted that she has not had any symptoms associated with the coronavirus but added that she will be taking a repeat test after eight days of self-quarantine.

REPEAT TEST

"I am doing a repeat test today. I have not displayed any sign. So far so good," she said on Tuesday.

On his part, Mr Wambua said he has also been in self-quarantine since last week at his home where he has also been following the guidelines given by the Ministry of Health.

He confirmed that they went through rigorous tests while in Dubai before they were allowed to travel.

"In Dubai they do body searches with scanners and if you display any symptoms associated with coronavirus then you are pulled aside and isolated. We went through all that. We were very careful there,” he said, adding that they did not leave the conference venue.

MCAS

At the same time, three Nairobi MCAs are also in self-quarantine after returning from foreign travel.

One jetted back into the country last month from Germany while the other two had come back after visiting two African countries which have since confirmed cases of the coronavirus.

"Yes, three MCAs are in self-quarantine after I advised them to do so in order not to endanger the lives of others," said Speaker Beatrice Elachi.

Kenya has 25 confirmed cases of the deadly novel coronavirus which has claimed more than 16, 500 lives globally.