Update:
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary, Amb. Macharia Kamau on Wednesday, March 4 stated that Kibra residents who accused two Asians of contracting coronavirus should be subjected to the Kenyan anti-hate law as stipulated in Article 27 of the Constitution, and the National Cohesion and Integration Act No. 12 of 2008.
“Following the attack on Chinese nationals in Kibra, the anti-hate law should be adhered to, and the matter should urgently be referred to the Interior Ministry for appropriate action,” Macharia told K24 Digital.
The Act forbids citizens from engaging in ethnic hatred and prejudicial acts against any group of persons defined by reference to colour, race, nationality (including citizenship) or ethnic or national origins.
A video of an Asian man and woman being harassed by a group of people in Kibra has gone viral.
In the video, the man is heard asking the Chinese nationals if 'they are corona'(sic) as the rest burst into laughter.
The duo then started walking away but the group of persistent Kibra residents kept following them as the Asians tried to explain that they are not infected with Coronavirus.
"We don't have corona," the defiant Asian defended himself as he also tried to protect his partner from the chaotic scene.
On Tuesday, March 3, the Chinese Embassy in Kenya emphasized that Coronavirus is not in any way associated with the Chinese.
"Coronavirus is not China virus, just as Ebola is not Africa virus. The virus does not respect the nation, and religion.
"We believe that this is the battle between humanity and nature. Discrimination and prejudice at this crucial time can only do harm to the global battle," the Embassy stated.
Further, on Thursday, February 27, the embassy warned Kenyan citizens against making racist remarks towards the Chinese Nationals amidst the dreaded coronavirus disease (COVID-19) scare.
In a statement issued on their social media platforms, the embassy called upon Kenyans to be more rational when expressing sentiments about the Chinese Nationals.
"We call upon a rational and scientific approach towards Chinese communities, firmly object any irresponsible and even racist remarks as seen from one of the MPs today," read a statement posted on the embassy's Twitter page.
According to the World Health Organization, Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases.
The current coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is caused by a virus that the WHO has named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
In Kenya, there have been several scares, with suspected incidences in various parts of the country but the Ministry firmly stated that there is no confirmed case of the virus in Kenya.
