A Catholic priest will be the second person in the country to be charged with knowingly spreading the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the country.
Rome-based Fr Richard Odour, who was arrested soon after being discharged from hospital having suffered Covid-19, will be arraigned tomorrow (Tuesday).
By the time he appears at a magistrate’s court in Milimani, he will have spent four days in police custody as well as the entire Easter period in the cells.
“Having healed, the law must take its course,” said Nairobi Police Commander Philip Ndolo.
The priest jetted into the country on March 10 from Italy, a country which has experienced high numbers of patients dying from the dreaded illness, but failed to self-quarantine.
Instead, he went to Nairobi’s Utawala estate and later on proceeded to Ugunja in Siaya County where he attended a burial and conducted mass before returning to Nairobi.
His arrest came after the public raised concerns and he was forced by the State to go into quarantine before testing positive for the disease.
President Uhuru Kenyatta and Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe also said Fr Odour should face charges similar to those Kilifi Deputy Governor Gideon Saburi faced – of knowingly spreading the deadly Covid-19.
Like the priest, Mr Saburi had also travelled outside the country and failed to quarantine himself upon his return. He was arrested on April 3 and was charged on April 9. He denied the charges.
Fr Oduor will face charges of violating the Public Health Act.
Following the coronavirus outbreak, the government directed all those returning from foreign countries as well as all incoming visitors to self-quarantine for 14 days d to check whether or not they may have contracted the disease in the course of their travel.
At least 59 people who are believed to have come into contact with the Catholic priest who tested positive for coronavirus were put on quarantine by the government.
They included five priests, three Migori-based nuns, 14 members of the priest’s immediate family, 20 members of the family of the nun whose mother’s funeral the priest presided over in Ambira village in Siaya County and 16 neighbours of the nun’s family.
It is also believed that the priest came into contact with some 247 individuals.
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