On Monday, August 10, President Uhuru Kenyatta made his way to informal settlements in Nairobi to launch life-saving development projects.
He commissioned the construction of three new Level 3 hospitals in the informal settlement areas, and was rightfully praised for it.
However, photos shared by the president's communication's office soon ignited a debate, with the Covid-19 forming the basis of the argument.
In one of the photographs, a local resident donning a football jersey associated to an English Premier League Club can be seen standing right next to a presidential guard.
However, he seemed unperturbed by Health CS Mutahi Kagwe's directive to always don face masks, opting to wear his on his left arm.
Some asked if the new clinics would be ready in time to admit the hundreds who may have been potentially exposed to the virus on the day.
As if that was not enough, the stipulation that people should maintain a minimum distance of 1.5 metres at all times was thrown out of the window, as they thronged around Uhuru's motorcade as it snaked through the slums.
The president decided to make a stop in the middle of the settlement and addressed the excited crowd.
In his impromptu speech, he informed the area residents that the three hospitals were part of 20 such facilities earmarked for various parts of the city.
He was present at the ground breaking cerempony for the construction of 16-bed capacity hospitals at Muthua in Uthiru and Kianda in Kibra, as well as a 24-bed facility at Maendeleo Village in Mukuru kwa Reuben.
The health centres are being developed by the Nairobi Metropolitan Service (NMS) at an average cost of Ksh70 million.
However, Kenyans just could not get over the brazen flouting of Covid-19 rules right in front of the Head of State.
Top government officials have been caught countless times ignoring the very rules set out by the national government.
Notably, in his address to the nation on July 27, President warned elected leaders over throwing caution to the wind, going on to promise dire consequences.
"We all have to step up to being responsible. This is especially the case with leaders, particularly the elected ones. All measures announced today shall be applied to all citizens regardless of their social or political standing," he stated.
COTU boss Francis Atwoli's name has come up on several occasions for hosting political meetings at his mansions.
Nairobi Senator, Johnson Sakaja, recently grabbed the headlines after he was allegedly caught sipping at away at a local establishment, past curfew hours.
The two seem to be just a tip of the iceberg with several leaders captured on camera flouting the rules that were established to combat the spread of Covid-19.
On August 10, CS Kagwe announced that 3 more individuals had died of the virus, bringing the total tally of dead patients to 423.
