This archive report was first published on 16 July 2020.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread, government offices in Kenya are facing a looming crisis. The National Treasury, Ministry of ICT, and Public Service Commission are among the affected departments, with operations scaled down due to confirmed cases of the virus.
At the National Treasury, 10 out of 50 officers who were tested last week were confirmed to have contracted the coronavirus, according to a memo dated July 13, 2020, from Principal Administrative Secretary Amos Gatheca.
"This is a high percentage of 20%. This is quite alarming," the memo notes, adding that a three-day mass testing targeting 200 officers will be undertaken at the Treasury beginning July 14, 2020.
At the Ministry of ICT, all operations at the headquarters will be scaled down temporarily from July 15 to July 24, 2020, after an officer based at Teleposta Towers succumbed to COVID-19 and several other staff members tested positive for the virus.
"In this regard, all staff/interns will be required to work from home. During this period access to the offices will be restricted, except where there is clearance by the respective Principal Secretary," states ICT Principal Secretary Esther Koimett in a memo dated July 14, 2020.
Additionally, Huduma Centres in Nairobi were closed temporarily from July 14 to allow for fumigation, while the Public Service Commission has also scaled down operations after at least 10 employees tested positive for COVID-19 following mass testing carried out on July 1, 2020.
