Chungwa House closed as Raila contacts go for Covid-19 tests

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) head office has been shut down after one of its employees tested positive for Covid-19.

Employees at the office were subjected to mandatory Covid-19 tests on Friday, a day after ODM leader Raila Odinga confirmed that he had contracted the virus.

And yesterday, the party’s Director of Communication Philip Etale, who had accompanied Raila on the five-day tour of Coast region, tested positive.

This happened just days after Raila’s private office at Capitol Hill in Upperhill, Nairobi, was also closed, although the staff there tested negative.

The ODM party leader, who is recuperating at Nairobi Hospital, was admitted a day after concluding his Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) popularisation tour at the Coast.

Raila was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday after complaining of fatigue. He tested positive on Thursday evening after a series of examinations conducted on him by doctors, led by Dr Oluoch Olunya.

Apart from Etale, The Sunday Standard was not able to independently verify whether there were other workers who had tested positive for Covid-19 at the party headquarters, even as the process to trace primary contacts went on at the Coast.

“I received my results last night (Friday). The doctor advised that I quarantine at home... I have not developed any symptoms but was advised to isolate,” said Etale.

Yesterday, a number of leaders who joined Raila during the Coast tour went to hospital for Covid-19 tests.

The Sunday Standard established that governors, Members of County Assembly (MCAs), MPs, senators, woman representatives and their orderlies in Taita Taveta, Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale counties went to get tested for the virus.

Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi yesterday confirmed he had taken the test and the results returned negative.

Mombasa Senator Mohamed Faki said he has not been tested or gone into self-isolation because he was with Raila 10 days before the ODM leader tested positive.

“I am healthy. I met Raila 10 days before he tested positive so there is no need for me to go for the tests or isolation,” said Faki.

Ganze MP Teddy Mwambire disclosed that he was with Raila in Turkana and Kilifi counties to campaign for the BBI and therefore decided to get tested when he heard the news that he was positive.

“I was with Baba in Turkana and Kilifi counties. When I heard him complain of fatigue, I knew something was wrong and that is when I decided to do my first test. I tested negative but I have decided to isolate. After 15 days, I will go for the second test just to be certain,” he said.

Mwambire’s Changamwe counterpart, Omar Mwinyi stated: “It has been a week since I isolated myself. I have not had any symptom or reaction that can make me worry.”

Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir said he regularly goes for the test and the results have remained negative.

“I get tested regularly. Most of Mombasa leaders who were close to Baba in Mombasa during his trip have tested negative. Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho has been tested twice and he is okay. My colleague and Likoni MP Mishi Mboko was tested and turned negative before she flew out to Dubai,” he said.

Kwale County MP Zulekha Hassan promised to go for the test yesterday.

Similarly, her Mombasa County counterpart Asha Hussein stated: “On Tuesday we went to see the governor and he demanded that we must first get tested. I did the test the same day and it came back negative.”

Apart from the lawmakers and county bosses, in Mombasa County government, the Chief of Staff Joab Tumbo also confirmed that Joho took the test a day after the ODM rallies as he was scheduled to travel to Zanzibar for official duty.

“We cannot lie that it has not caused panic. But yes we have done the tests. The governor did the test after the ODM rallies because it was a requirement before jetting out to Zanzibar,” said Tumbo.

He said all Mombasa County leaders have been advised to take proactive measures, stating that he was not aware of any leader in the county who has so far tested positive or is being quarantined.

“Governor Joho was tested on Thursday when he jetted back from Zanzibar again. It turned negative again,” said Tumbo who asked Mombasa leaders and the public to take Covid-19 seriously.

Life-and-death matter

In Taita Taveta, Voi MP Jones Mlolwa confirmed that he was tested and the result was negative but decided to self-isolate. “I was to come back to my rural home from Nairobi but I had to first know my status,” said Mlolwa.

Mlolwa said he had already talked to his Mwatate counterpart Andrew Mwadime to also undergo the test to know his status.

Taita Taveta Deputy Speaker Chrispus Tondoo and ODM Nominated MCA Joan Akinyi also confirmed they have undergone the tests.

“This is all about life and death. I always go for tests once I interact or engage in political rallies in my ward. I went for the test and my result is negative,” said Tondoo, who is also the Bomani MCA.

Human rights group, Haki Africa, insisted that leaders go for tests and declare their status. 

Other than Governor Granton Samboja, the other leaders who interacted with Raila during his tour of the county are Mlolwa, Mwadime, 20 MCAs, local ODM leaders and Maasai elders from Taveta sub-county.

Yesterday, we were unable to reach Samboja. But his Communication Director Denis Onsarigo said: “I am not aware if the governor has gone for test or has isolated himself. What I know is that everybody who interacted with Baba should self-quarantine. I am in self-quarantine in Nairobi,” stated Onsarigo.

Yesterday, the Sunday Standard established that Mboko, who travelled to Dubai on Friday night for parliamentary duties, did her test two days after the ODM public rally in her constituency.

“It is a condition that before one travels out of the country, he or she must do the test. She collected her results at Kemri in Nairobi and it was negative,” said Likoni CDF manager Mohamed Nyembwe who also doubles up as Mboko’s personal assistant. [Reports by Renson Mnyamwezi, Weldon Kipkemoi, Willis Oketch and Philip Mwakio]