Kitui Priest Who Defied Self-quarantine Directive Admitted At Mbagathi Hospital With Coronavirus-like Symptoms

A Kitui County Catholic Priest, who hit headlines after defying self-quarantine directive, has been transferred to the Mbagathi Hospital’s isolation ward.

The man of the cloth identified as Nicholas Maanzo was admitted at the facility after he exhibited coronavirus-like symptoms.

“Kitui County Health Officials report, after routine checkup, revealed the cleric exhibited fever, coughing and had a headache,” a source intimated to a local media.

Maanzo is set to be tested for COVID-19 which has so far infected 42 people in the country.

The priest returned to Kenya from Italy through Ireland on Monday, March 23 after a study tour in Italy and was a day later spotted at a supermarket in Kitui town before visiting an ATM machine in the same area.

Kitui Central Sub-county DCI boss Nzioka Singi said the priest had been advised at the airport to self isolate himself for 14 days but was on Tuesday night spotted at the Barclays Bank ATM and Magunas supermarket, raising anxiety among the locals familiar with him.

Upon receiving the complaint, the police boss alerted Kitui County health officers who accompanied him to to the priest’s home at Kihara village.

The officers interrogated Maanzo before the medical officers took his temperatures.

The priest claimed he left his house to buy food.

“We visited him to establish why he flouted the self-quarantine rules. He has explained that he did not have any food and therefore ventured out to look for food,” said Singi.

Singi said the priest did not show any signs of illness, adding that he admitted his mistake and apologised for the risk he had posed to area residents.

The officers reprimanded the priest and directed him to self-quarantine.

“You are just lucky that you do not show any signs of illness. Health officers have confirmed that your temperature is okay and you do not seem to be ill. But you must know that you committed a serious mistake by leaving your home to go to town,” Singi told the priest.

The developments come a week after the Church was put on the spot over recklessness in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak.

This is after it emerged that a Rome-based priest who recently presided over a funeral service in Siaya tested positive for COVID-19.

The priest, Father Richard Onyango Oduor, jetted in from Rome, Italy, and failed to self-quarantine as advised by the government.

At least 50 people, who came into close contact with the priest have been isolated.