MP urges action against police who let 'mourners' pass roadblock

Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma has asked the government to take action against police officers who allowed the ‘mourners’ to travel from Nairobi to Homa Bay County.

He termed it irresponsible for the officers to allow people to travel from Nairobi and other counties under lockdown as the country battles Covid-19.

He called on Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe to round up the police officers who were manning the roadblocks at the time the said individuals travelled.

He added that the officers should be tested for coronavirus, quarantined and face prosecution for corruption and criminal negligence.

This is comes after the driver of the vehicle which was transporting people to a funeral to Homa Bay tested positive for Covid-19 after passing a number of roadblocks before security officers in Homa Bay got suspicious and upon opened the coffin and found it empty.

“The government should make public the measures it has put in place to ensure that individuals permitted to travel from Nairobi and other counties under lockdown are tested before being allowed to travel,” said Mr Kaluma.

He raised alarm that no serious contact tracing, mass testing and extensive quarantine has been done by government in the affected area of Homa Bay County to contain the spread of the disease.

Meanwhile, a second group of mourners who sneaked out of Nairobi to Homa Bay County on Saturday have been quarantined at Homa Bay Kenya Medical Training College.

The 12 mourners arrived in the county just four days after a first group of mourners who carried an empty coffin from Nairobi were put on quarantine at the same facility.

This brings to 21 people quarantined over Covid-19 in the county.

Rachuonyo North Deputy County Commissioner James Mabeya said the mourners were arrested between Kendu Bay town and Pala trading centre before they got home.

Mr Mabeya said security officers acted on a tip off from the public that the 12 were travelling from Nairobi to Homa Bay.

The case comes after another group of nine mourners from Nairobi who were traveling to Seka Kamser were also arrested on Tuesday and put on quarantine at Homa Bay KMTC.

Unfortunately, one of the nine tested positive for coronavirus.

Following the actions of the two groups of mourners, Homa Bay Governor Cyprian Awiti says he is considering imposing a lockdown in Homa Bay County, so as not to endanger the lives of residents.

He said he is working closely with the national government to ensure travellers from Nairobi do not sneak into the county.