Raila: I did not meet Kilifi deputy governor Saburi

ODM leader Raila Odinga (pictured) has dismissed reports that he held a meeting with Kilifi Deputy Governor Gideon Saburi when he visited Coast region last week.

Mr Saburi is currently under mandatory quarantine after he reportedly tested positive of the virus following a trip to Germany, which is one of the affected European nations.

In a statement by his spokesperson Dennis Onyango yesterday, Raila said that he only met with Mombasa Deputy Governor William Kingi.

“During the Mombasa visit, Mr Odinga did not meet with any of the leaders of the Coastal counties or their deputies, except the Deputy Governor of Mombasa County Dr. William Kingi. He did not meet Deputy Governor of Kilifi County,” said the statement.

Raila said he ‘made a low-key visit to Mombasa for a few days of rest’ and stayed in his house.

He appealed to the public to ignore any reports indicating that he had a meeting with Saburi, saying those pushing for such propaganda do not understand the magnitude of threat the virus has imposed on the country.

“Treat such reports as the work of people who have failed to comprehend the magnitude of the challenge the nation is facing and instead find pleasure in abusing social media platforms to spread misinformation to cause fear and panic, a trend the State must arrest urgently,” he said.

Raila also announced suspension of all his travels, public meetings as well as operations at his Capitol Hill offices in compliance with government directive to contain spread of coronavirus.

The African Union High Representative for Infrastructure Development said that he has been strictly complying with the directives issued by the government since the first case of the coronavirus was reported in the country.

“He has suspended travels outside the country, public gatherings and meetings. In addition, he has since suspended operations at his Capitol Hill offices to minimise human traffic to the office,” added the statement.

The opposition leader, the statement said, has been operating mostly from home while transacting official business online.

He further appealed to Kenyans to continue obeying directives from the government including frequently washing their hands and staying away from crowded places.

At the same time, Borabu MP Ben Momanyi yesterday donated several buckets and sanitisers, some which were dispatched outside his constituency.

Momanyi said the buckets and sanitisers will be installed in major shopping centers across the county to aid washing of hands, one of the key measures to tackle the pandemic.

"Italy, one of the most affected countries is on its knees. This is not a joke. They are more developed than us and we must just do these basics to avoid possible spread across Kenya,” he said.

"As a responsible leader, I think this is appropriate. I wish to ask my colleagues also to join hands and ensure this project even reaches villages. We can't wait for national and county governments to do everything for us," added Momanyi.

Momanyi said the project will also benefit neighboring Kitutu Masaba, West Mugirango and North Mugirango.