Ministry of Foreign Affairs PS Macharia Kamau has tested positive for Covid-19.
Reports first surfaced to the public on July 30, after a leaked conversation involving PS Kamau was published online.
Foreign Affairs head of communications, Jane Kariuki, stated that PS Kamau had been self-isolating at home since Friday, July 24, 2020, when he tested positive.
She revealed that the ministry was disheartened by the publishing of the private conversation without the express authority of the concerned party.
“It’s clearly a violation of privacy because they didn’t have authority to share the conversation with the whole country. We might have to seek legal address,” she stated, adding that the PS had been informed of the reports.
She further explained that while working from home, the PS had delegated some of his duties to Political and Diplomatic Secretary, Ambassador Tom Amollo.
Staff at the ministry had been tested as part of the commissioned institutionalised testing targeting state officers. Strict observance of Covid-19 guildines have helped maintain calm at the ministry.
Speaking about the status of PS Kamau, she disclosed that he only experienced slight flu and was recovering well.
In the leaked WhatsApp conversation, PS Kamau is said to have been criticising the manner in which contact tracing was conducted.
The reports also claimed that there was no insurance cover for Covid-19 patients.
However, NHIF had on July 28, announced that it would break insurance policies on disasters and epidemics to offer covers to members who contract the virus.
NHIF will cover Covid-19 patients admitted government hospitals including Kenyatta National Teaching Referral Hospital, Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital, Mbagathi County Hospital.
Aside from the named hospitals, members can also get cover at county-designated facilities and any other facility as may be designated by the Ministry of Health.
NHIF, however, stated that it shall not be liable for bills incurred in non-Ministry of Health designated health facilities.
