At least 50 MPs and Parliament staff are to be tested for Covid-19 after potentially coming into contact with Rabai MP Kamoti Mwamkale who recently tested positive for the virus.
Among the MPs to be tested and subjected to mandatory quarantine are members of the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee (JLAC) and the Delegated Legislation Committee, both of which Mwamkale sits on. 38 lawmakers sit on the two committees.
Parliamentary staff attached to the committees will also be required to undergo the test.
Mwamkale tested positive for Covid-19 after reportedly coming into contact with infected Kilifi Deputy Governor Gideon Saburi at the funeral of the late Msambweni MP Suleiman Dori on Monday, March 9
The National Assembly submitted to the Ministry of Health (MoH) the list of lawmakers and staff it wants to be traced and tested, with records showing that Mwamkale was in Parliament as recently as March 17.
Other than the committee members, the National Assembly is also seeking to trace other lawmakers who might have come into contact with Mwamkale when he was in the house.
Mwamkale is reportedly currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in Nairobi.
The Health Ministry had previously announced that it was tracking down 122 individuals believed to have come into contact with Saburi after his return from Germany on March 6.
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe further confirmed that Saburi would be charged in court after his recovery because he failed to self-isolate after arriving back in the country.
News of Saburi's refusal to self-isolate had stoked anger and disappointment among many Kilifi residents and county officials who feared they may have been infected.
Saburi had interacted with several people as he attended a number of events after returning to the country.
On March 7, for instance, he met a group of MCAs at Royal Hotel in Mazeras to discuss preparations for International Women's Day celebrations that were to be held in Rabai, Kilifi County.
Saburi was also sighted at a night club in Bamburi, Mombasa on March 19 and at a restaurant known as Cafesserie-Mombasa on March 20 alongside his driver.
