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- isolation centre at Mbagathi Hospital
The Kenyan government has activated its emergency response plan to deal with the spread of the coronavirus locally.
Through an Executive Order on Friday, President Uhuru Kenyatta issued five orders regarding how the country intends to combat the coronavirus.
The President acknowledged that the COVID-19 is a matter of international concern and deemed it prudent to establish a framework to coordinate the country’s preparedness in tackling the virus.
“Kenya is a major international transport hub, with 70% of international passengers being on transit. Whereas there is significant threat arising from the potential spread of the Coronavirus to Kenya from Countries that have new and ongoing outbreaks of the pneumatic disease,” the Head of State said in his Executive Order Number 2 of 2020.
“Now, therefore, having been found prudent and necessary to establish a framework to upscale and co-ordinate Kenya’s preparedness and national response to the Coronavirus threat…”
The Head of State issued the following orders:
That the national isolation and treatment facility at Mbagathi Hospital be completed and ready to receive patients within seven days from the date hereof.
That the identification and preparation of isolation and treatment facilities in Level V and Referral Hospitals across the country be concluded by March 15, 2020.
That the National Emergency Response Committee on Coronavirus is hereby established.
That the Cabinet’s Ad-hoc Committee on Health and the Inter-Ministerial Technical Committee on Government Response to the Coronavirus Outbreak are hereby subsumed into the National Emergency Response Committee and stand dissolved.
National Emergency Response Committee
That the new committee shall be constituted as follows:
The National Emergency Response Committee will be chaired by the Health Cabinet Secretary
Members
CS Foreign Affairs
CS Transport, Infrastructure, Housing, Urban Development and Public Works
CS Defence
CS ICT
Chairperson Health Committee, Council of Governors Kakamega County Governor Wycliffe Oparanya.
PS Interior and Citizen Services
Chief of Staff, Office of the President
PAS, Office of the President
PS Health
PS National Treasury
PS Foreign Affairs
PS Transport
PS Telecommunications and Broadcasting
Director-General, Medical Services
Director-General, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority
Director-General, Kenya Airports Authority
Director, Immigration
Director of Medical Services, Kenya Defence Forces
Government Spokesperson
Secretariat
Director of Public Health
The team will be tasked with:
- Coordinating Kenya’s preparedness, prevention and response to the threat of Coronavirus
- Coordinate capacity building of medical personnel and other professionals to enable the country to respond quickly to any suspected cases
- Enhance surveillance at all Ports/Points of Entry in Kenya
- Coordinate the preparation of national, county and private isolation and treatment facilities
- Coordinate the supply of testing kits, medical supplies and other protective gear within the public
- Conduct Economic Impact Assessments and develop mitigation strategies with regard to the disease
- Coordination of both local and international, financial and human resource assistance efforts with development partners and key stakeholders
- Formulating, enforcing and reviewing of processes and requirements that regulate the entry into Kenya of any persons or class of persons suspected to have travelled from a coronavirus affected area
- Conduct any other matter ancillary to or in furtherance of any of the foregoing terms of reference
- The committee may co-opt any other persons as may be required to assist it in the discharge of its functions
