Kilifi DG Gideon Saburi recovers from Covid-19, to face the law – VIDEO
Kilifi Deputy Governor Gideon Saburi has recovered fully from Covid-19 two weeks after he was forcefully placed in quarantine.
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said Saburi has been given a clean bill of health.
“I am also pleased to announce to you that the Deputy Governor of Kilifi County has fully recovered,” said Mr Kagwe.
He added that “The issue of the law will now follow up with him.”
The DG last week was forced to apologise to Kenyans after he was accused of roaming around on arrival in the country, breaching the mandatory 14 days quarantine.
“I am sorry for the pain I have caused. I am very remorseful for bringing anxiety on coronavirus spread in Kilifi County and the entire country, and hope that people will find a heart to forgive me,” Mr Saburi.
Mr Saburi, a father of three, also asked Kenyans to observe government directives in the fight against the spread of Covid-19, which has killed nearly 50,000 people across the world.
“Coronavirus is real. I call upon people to take precaution seriously,” he said, adding that he felt bad for having travelled to Germany because he now “bears the blame of the virus spread in Kilifi.”
His action led to more than 13 police officers from Kilifi County among them a deputy OCS and base commander to be placed under self-quarantine following contact with him.
According to the Public Health Act, a person risks being sent to jail for up to three years or faces a fine of Sh30,000 or both for exposing someone to an infectious disease intentionally.
The Public Health Act CAP 242-28 states that it is an offence to intentionally expose and infect another person while suffering from any infectious disease, willfully exposes himself without proper precautions against spreading the said disease in any street, public place, shop, inn or public conveyance, or enters any public conveyance without previously notifying the owner, conductor or driver thereof that he is so suffering.
“Being in charge of any person so suffering, so exposes such sufferer; or gives, lends, sells, transmits or exposes, without previous disinfection, any bedding, clothing, rags or other things which have been exposed to infection from any such disease, shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding thirty thousand shillings or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to both,” the Act states.
It adds that: “A person who, while suffering from any such disease, enters any public conveyance without previously notifying the owner or driver that he is so suffering shall in addition be ordered by the court to pay such owner and driver the amount of any loss and expenses they may incur in carrying into effect the provisions of this Act with respect to disinfection of the conveyance.”
The Act further states that, Provided that no proceedings under this section shall be taken against persons transmitting with proper precautions any bedding, clothing, rags or other things for the purpose of having the same disinfected.”