Kilifi Deputy Governor Gideon Saburi reached out to Kenyans and his Kilifi County residents, asking them to forgive him for violating President Uhuru Kenyatta's self-quarantine directive to those who had travelled from abroad.
Saburi tested positive for Coronavirus (Covid-19) after undergoing tests on Sunday, March 22, as he stares at a jail term or fine for allegedly refusing to self-isolate after arriving in the country from Germany via Amsterdam on March 6. His actions sparked nationwide fury as Kenyans called on his arrest.
An article by the Daily Nation on Saturday, March 28, detailed that the DG regretted his actions as he continues to receive treatment for the virus.
“I am very remorseful for bringing anxiety on Coronavirus spread in Kilifi County and the entire country and hope that people will find a heart to forgive me.
“I am a responsible person. I am a leader, a family man and a mentor to many. I did not do this on purpose," Saburi defended himself.
The father of three further warned Kenyans that Coronavirus was real, urging them to adhere to the measures stipulated by the government to curb the spread of the disease.
"Coronavirus is real. I call upon people to take precaution seriously,” Saburi warned while affirming that he bore the blame for spreading the virus in Kilifi, which was marked as a hot spot by Health CS Mutahi Kagwe.
The deputy to Kilifi Governor, Amason Kingi, further defended himself again, arguing that he was a responsible leader focused on delivering for his people.
“There were no clear guidelines set, upon my return, I did not do that intentionally. I cannot be careless enough to roam around infecting other people knowing well that I have Covid-19. All those years I have kept a clean bill of conduct. I have worked diligently and responsibly, discharging my duties as both CEC and deputy governor.
"I have never indulged in any corrupt dealings to warrant complaints concerning my personality until when Coronavirus came in," he lamented.
He further admitted to interacting with several individuals, including Governor Kingi and Kilifi residents, who are under self-quarantine.
“I attended funerals to condole with bereaved families and other gatherings in my rural home in Rabai bearing in mind the nature of my job and position in society. My governor had cleared me to attend the fair, the county secretary gave me a letter confirming the same. I have two residences in Mombasa where I live with my children and spouse. I went to a supermarket to buy food stocks and that is when I was accused of disregarding the quarantine order.
“Before travelling, I spoke with the governor but we did not talk about the cancellation. Instead of 10 days as earlier planned, I stayed in Germany for three days. By then, the country had not been marked as a hotspot following the Coronavirus outbreak," Saburi stated.
On Monday, March 23, 17 officers who were involved in his arrest were placed under isolation at Mbagathi Hospital.
Among the 17 officers are three senior officials from Mtwapa.
