The Kirinyaga Deputy Governor, Peter Ndambiri has raised the red flag over the non-existent health facilities to confine the identified Covid-19 positive cases.
Ndambiri said unless urgent measures were put in place to contain the situation, many local residents will be infected by the killer virus.
The official said already four police officers from the Kianyaga police station have been infected by the virus while 12 remandees at the same station have also tested positive.
“It is a pity that only the infected police officers were quickly rushed for isolation at the Kerugoya level four hospital while the remandees continued to languish at the police cells and without any medical care,” he said.
Speaking at Kiawakara village, Kirinyaga Central Sub-County during the burial of a murder victim, Joyce Kaira Muthiru on Tuesday, Ndambiri added that there 37 other persons recently arrested and have been bundled into the same cell.
The late Kaira who is the mother-in-law of the vocal Mutira MCA, Kinyua wa Wangui was brutally murdered last week over unknown reasons by a close family member.
The assailant has since been arrested while area residents have called for urgent conclusion of the matter in order to have justice served on the family
Ndambiri said the county has no capacity to handle any Covid-19 positive cases due to non-commitment by the top county leadership.
He asked his boss, Governor Anne Waiguru to humble herself and agree to sign the budget proposal as passed by the MCAs for the sake of the local residents who stand vulnerable to corona virus.
Ndambiri said there is urgent need to come with a strategy to help raise the standards of the neglected health sector not only to address the immediate concerns for the Covid- 19 but also for the other diseases which continued to make locals suffer due to lack of drugs and other related services.
“Since we have no capacity nor prepared to handle these rising corona virus cases, am appealing to the Head of State to direct the Interior Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Fred Matiang’i and his Health counterpart, Mutahi Kagwe to come to our rescue and have the victims transferred to other health facilities as we try to fix the shortcomings facing our county.”
Ndambiri also asked Waiguru to release county funds for the immediate preparation for isolation centers since the number of infections appears on an upward trend.
“Unless these concerns are addressed urgently I will call for mass action since am not ready to witness massive deaths due to the laxity of our county top leadership,”Ndambiri said.
He reminded his elected colleagues that they were not holding those positions as bosses but servants of the people.
By Irungu Mwangi
