Bomet security team has informed residents that it was criminal to spread unconfirmed stories about coronavirus as legal action will be taken against them.
Addressing the press in his office Wednesday, area County Commissioner Geoffrey Omoding warned anyone who is not authorized should not spread fear about who is suffering from the virus apart from health officials and authorized security officials.
“As of now we have no case single case of a person suffering from Covid-19 in the area contrary to rumours doing rounds that we have patients at our referral hospital,” stated Omoding.
He warned residents who may have travelled from outside the county and fail to quarantine themselves that they will be held personally liable and be charged for the negligence.
“Our officers are closely monitoring cases of individuals who returned to the county from overseas and failed to follow the guidelines from the government on self-quarantine as legal actions will be taken against them upon recovery,” he said.
The county commissioner said people sneaking back into their homes without self-isolation were a big health risk not only to the county, but to the nation at large and the law will catch up with them and they will be punished.
“You should volunteer information to authorities on anyone known to have travelled abroad and entered the county in the last ten days,” he said, while calling on Nyumba Kumi elders, chiefs and their assistants to be more vigilant and keep track of visitors from foreign countries in their midst.
He pointed out that security officials are tracking down two individuals who recently returned from Germany and went around their villages mingling with people, clearly defying government orders.
“We have ordered them to be in self-quarantine at their homes until the lapse of 14 days and if it turns out that they are positive we are going take stern actions against them,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Bomet town remained partially on lockdown since Wednesday night with armed security officers patrolling the streets of the town.
The officers could be seen going round whipping anyone found idling with those operating businesses at shops only being allowed to remain.
Omoding indicated that the county security team is yet to make some tough measures on the boda boda sector arguing that the sector poses serious risks of infections because most of them do not adhere to the rules put in place.
He said that they will start a crackdown on the riders who will not follow the directives in a bid to combat the pandemic that has since seen 25 people infected in the country.
Embomos ward Robert Serbai echoed same sentiments while calling on relevant authorities to fully enforce the ban on hawking and other operations within major towns.
By Joseph Obwocha
