Political leaders, especially those who are vying for the presidency in 2022, have kept on holding huge gatherings even as the new COVID-19 variant continues to claim lives.
They have cut a don’t care image even as health experts warn that the COVID-19 Delta variant may claim thousands of lives in Kenyan as it has done elsewhere in the World.
The Ministry of Health, in a statement issued on Thursday, August 5, said the number of COVID-19 cases in the country is on a sharp rise with 1,571 people testing positive from a sample size of 9,065 tested in the last 24 hours marking a positivity rate of 17.3 percent.
Health CS Mutahi Kagwe while announcing a ban on political gatherings recently said that it is unfortunate to see political leaders who should lead from the front ignoring the Covid-19 containment measure put in place by the government.
“When you call a political gathering in a street where people are many is it super spreading. There is no point in carrying the rallies, then we have more deaths then we go to the funerals and then cause more deaths,” Kagwe said.
The leaders including DP William Ruto, Raila Odinga, Musalia Mudavadi, and Kalonzo Musyoka continue to blatantly disregard the ban on political gatherings amid a COVID-19 spike in the country.
On Thursday, August 5, Deputy President William Ruto held a meeting with over 135 Members of Parliament allied to the Hustler Movement at his official Karen residence at a time when transmission of the new COVID-19 variant is high.
Just a week ago, Amani National Congress party leader Musalia Mudavadi concluded his tour in the rich-vote Mt Kenya region.
One Kenya Alliance (OKA) leaders have also been going round the country holding gatherings to sell their 2022 ambitions in total disregard of COVID-19 containment measures.
A fortnight ago, President Uhuru Kenyatta who banned all political gatherings camped at the Coast where he addressed a rally where no social distance was adhered to and the use of masks and alcohol-based hand sanitizers looked like something of the past.
Of all the 2022 presidential hopefuls, it’s only ODM leader Raila Odinga who is a little bit concerned about the deadly Covid-19 perhaps because he was once a victim.
This is after the opposition leader yesterday announced the postponement of his political meeting which had been scheduled for today in Homa Bay County.
“Our meeting which was supposed to be graced by Raila Odinga at Sikri has been postponed. The new date will be announced later,” said Homa Bay governor Cyprian Awiti.
