Kilifi county fears coronavirus outbreak as DG Saburi isolated and treated at Mbagathi Hospital

Kilifi county CeC Dr Anisa Omar. PHOTO | BMS

After the Kilifi Deputy Governor Gideon Saburi quarantined at Mbagathi Hospital in Nairobi, the incident is sparking fears of spreading the naval infectious COVID-19 through contacts. The Government, however, maintained that if anyone feels like having the symptoms to seek medical aid immediately. COVID-19 can be treated like any other virus so there is no cause of alarm.


“Today, we have been forced to quarantine an individual in Kilifi County after refusing to do so, on arrival from abroad. And we will continue doing so to protect other Kenyans from the contagious virus,” Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said.  


Visiting the high-risk countries in the West, worries are that the officer might have contracted the infectious disease and spreading the same to others before his forced isolation.

Office of the deputy governor Kilifi.

“The senior executive officer arrived the other day before the International Women’s Day and I am sure he must have come into contact with several people within his village and the County at large because he attended the Women’s Day celebrations,” the sources said.


“Most of the senior officers have panicked because they have interacted with the individual in different functions after his arrival from abroad. My worry is nobody can tell his or her fate now,” said one of the CeCs.



The Kilifi County Health CeC Dr Anisa Omar urged the residents to stay calm as those who tested positive earlier were treated and allowed to join their families.


" No need for any alarm. The ones who were tested positive were treated . The most important thing is to follow what the government is saying. We are working hard on creating awareness in rural areas. Stay calm and remember to visit the hospital if any has the symptoms, " she said.


However, the county government has set aside Sh75 million and established various isolation centres to control the menace. Some of the centres are in Gede, Jibana, Mbudzi, Mnarani and Ganze.