Provide regular progress reports on Ebola threat, Joyce Laboso tells Government

Deputy National Assembly Speaker Joyce Laboso has directed the Government to provide regular progress reports on its efforts to tackle the threat posed by Ebola virus.

Dr Laboso told the House Committee on Health to ensure its members receive regular reports on the Ebola threat, which has so far claimed more than 1,000 lives in Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.

“Since this issue is of great concern to the public, the committee should continue giving continuous status reports as the issue progresses,” she said.

Members had raised concern that the Government was not doing enough to secure the country’s borders and wondered why Kenya Airways was still flying to Nigeria and Ghana even after halting flights to three other affected countries.

“We have not been given the reasons why we are still flying to Nigeria. The Government wants to commit Sh680 million of taxpayers’ funds to handle the issue... We are so fascinated with money instead of being proactive in protecting Kenyans. I don’t think the minister for Health is serious,” said Cornelly Serem (Aldai).

 House Health Committee Chairperson Racheal Nyamai told the House that passenger screening was the key priority in keeping out the threat, and that the Government had little control over the choice of routes by foreign airlines. Her committee members had raised concern even as reports emerged that an Ebola case had been reported in Tanzania.

According to reports carried in the Zambian press, the county’s authorities in the border town Nakonde were restricting movement of people from Tanzania after an Ebola case was reported.

Kwanza MP Ferdinand Wanyonyi claimed Western Kenya could turn out to be the weakest link in the country’s efforts to keep the virus at bay.