Nairobi County Assembly to remain closed over Covid-19 fears

The assembly will remain closed for an unknown period as a precautionary measure to curb the rising positive cases of Covid-19 among the legislators.

Majority leader Abdi Hassan Guyo who moved the motion admitted that he was himself a victim and had just successfully completed his isolation period.

Guyo revealed that several MCAs have tested positive while some are in critical conditions.

“The pandemic is a reality that we have to confront and there is no doubt that some of our members have been hard-hit,” Guyo said.

Speaker Benson Mutura on Saturday told a section of the media that 40 MCAs have so far tested positive while two are on oxygen support.

The closure of the assembly also conforms to President Uhuru’s directive that all the Assemblies in the five zoned counties be closed.

The counties are Nairobi,Nakuru,Kiambu, Kajiado and Machakos.

Minority leader Michael Ogada ( Embakasi ward) seconded the motion and called on Nairobi residents to take serious the Ministry of Health protocols.

” The situation is now getting dire and we can no longer pretend that things are okay when we know people are suffering,” Ogada said.

Makongeni MCA Peter Imwatok called on the Nairobi Metropolitan Services ( NMS) and the county government to ensure that all funds directed towards the management of the Covid-19 situation in the county are utilised well.

However,all committee sessions will go on virtual mode.

This comes at a time the county is working on the 2021/2022 budget.The process is still at sector levels with a number of public participation forums that had been lined up having been suspended.