The National Assembly Committee on Health is set to commence investigations into the events surrounding Gatundu South legislator Moses Kuria's burning incident.
During parliamentary proceedings on Tuesday, October 12, Members of parliament led by South Mugirango MP, Silvanus Osoro, called for the committee to investigate the company behind the leg warming blanket that is alleged to have led to the hospitalization of Kuria.
Osoro stated that it was the responsibility of the house committee to ensure that Kenyans are protected from harmful products, questioning the role of government regulatory bodies.
"Could the chair provide a list of all the products being sold in the country and confirm if all the products by the company have been approved by both the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) and the Kenya Bureau of Standards(KEBS)," Osoro inquired.
In response, Murang'a Woman Representative, Sabina Chege, who doubles up as the health committee chair, stated that they would investigate the products and table a detailed report before the floor of the house in the next two weeks.
"My committee has taken that issue seriously and we will respond. I personally visited Moses Kuria yesterday and he gave me the story on what happened," she stated.
Chege also noted that Kenyans had raised concerns over the spread of the products all over the country, urging her colleagues to visit various outlets selling the leg warming products on a fact-finding mission.
"It is not just for the purpose of Moses Kuria, but for many Kenyans who are exposed to such devices not only for the company that has been mentioned. We are going to protect citizens,"
"I have seen in various shopping centers that those things are being sold. let them(MPs) also investigate and inform the committee on what is happening," she challenged her committee members.
However, her request to investigate the matter in three weeks was opposed by MPs, stating that the matter was of urgency. Chege had earlier explained that the issue was a weighty matter, hence the need for more time.
On Thursday, October 7, while being interviewed by a local TV station, Kuria revealed that he had used the leg warming blanket to treat numbness that he was experiencing. The Gatundu legislator went ahead to explain that he bought the device for Ksh250,000.
"I was first told that you connect it to the power, which I did. I connected it to power and stepped on it. At night, my legs raptured and I had to be rushed to hospital the following day," he stated.
The Gatungu legislator also disclosed that he would move to parliament after his recovery to petition the house to investigate the leg-warming products.
