Four officials at Kenya’s State House on Monday, June 15, tested positive for coronavirus, marking the first Covid-19 infections at the top national government office. According to a statement signed by Kenyan State House spokesperson Kanze Mararo Dena, the identities of the four will remain concealed as they seek treatment at the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital in Kiambu County. “As part of proactive measures being implemented to contain the spread of Covid-19, State House staff are regularly tested for the disease…the tests are conducted on all staff including His Excellency the President and members of his family,” reads part of the statement. President Uhuru Kenyatta and the First Family are safe, and free from Covid-19, according to the publicist. The cases were identified from a screening exercise conducted last week. “During last week’s mass Covid-19 testing held on Thursday, June 11, four persons were found to have contracted the disease...Families and close contacts of the affected officers are also being attended to accordingly,” the statement added. “Families and close contacts of the affected officers are also being attended to accordingly,” Mararo said in the statement. Kenya’s total number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 stands at more than 3,720, with more than 1280 patients having fully recovered while over a hundred others have lost their lives. Following the news, State House has rolled out undisclosed protocols for all visitors and staff residing outside the compound in an effort to curb more infections, Mararo said. “State House would also like to remind Kenyans that every person is at risk of contracting Covid-19. No one is immune to the disease,” she said. According to media reports from Kenya, the infections at State House were confirmed on the same day several public institutions including courts resumed normal operations, having been stopped in March, as part of the directive to contain the spread of the virus.
