A letter circulating online caused a storm when it was alleged that a Kenyan who flew into the country on May 4, was allowed to self-quarantine at home despite the government's directive on mandatory quarantine at an approved facility.
According to the letter seen by Kenyans.co.ke on Wednesday, May 6, Lucy Muthoni Kambuni who was scheduled to travel from London on May 4, was to be accorded the special privileges that included a police escort from her home to self-quarantine immediately after her arrival
"The above named is scheduled to travel from London on May 4, 2020. She has been tested and is Covid-19 negative. Approval has been granted for her to be quarantined at her home in Runda Estate," the letter reads.
The letter further informed that upon arrival at JKIA, she would be picked by a designated police officer in a government vehicle, after which she would be taken to her home to quarantine for 14 days.
It also explained that a physician had been appointed and had signed the obligation to be responsible for the patient during her stay to ensure that she quarantined as required.
These sentiments stirred mixed feelings from Kenyans who took the opportunity to condemn what they called double standards, given that other Kenyans were required to quarantine at a fee in government facilities.
Others, however, took the opportunity to defend the decision as logical and plausible given that the government had taken every measure to ensure that the citizen followed self-quarantine rules to the latter.
"Looks reasonable... clear chain of custody of responsibility, vessel/vehicle of carriage, an anticipated person of contact, location of quarantine, identified physician for follow up, undertaking by physician...good and commendable...sadly cannot be replicated for each case though," Chris Odero stated.
"Would I get the same treatment if I was to get my local clinic officer to monitor and observe me, the local chief to pick me up at JKIA and to self-quarantine in my rental room in Kawangware? Or my only available option is the Ksh 3,000 per night isolation facilitates?" Waitathu PK sceptically posed.
"The rest who were on the same flight didn’t have that letter yet they all had the Covid -19 negative certification. They are currently on quarantine at their own cost in hotels," another social media user alleged.
In March after the country recorded the first Covid-19 case, the government continuously advised Kenyans coming into the country from abroad to self-quarantine for 14 days.
With time, however, it directed that all Kenyans coming from abroad to be put under mandatory quarantine in a government-approved facility and at their own cost.
This was due to a huge number of those under self-quarantine flouting the rules and some outrightly declining the self-quarantine, in effect posing a risk to other citizens, and the government thus tightened the quarantine rules.
