This archive report was first published on 18 July 2020.
On July 17, 2020, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe directed the medical board to investigate laboratories producing unclear Covid-19 results, citing concerns over public trust in the testing process.
Pathologists Lancet Kenya, a laboratory at the center of the controversy, has come under fire for producing conflicting results. The lab's CEO and founder, Ahmed Kalebi, announced on July 17, 2020, that he would be taking a break from social media to focus on addressing the issues at his lab.
According to Health CS Kagwe, the lab in question had tested a group of people in Nairobi, resulting in conflicting positive and negative test results. He urged Kenyans to avoid visiting laboratories that have a history of producing unclear results, warning that such facilities risk closure if found to be non-compliant with regulations.
“We have asked the medical board to relook at some of these labs and where we believe a laboratory is not adhering to the standards then definitely we will close them down,” Kagwe said.
The controversy surrounding Pathologists Lancet Kenya began when 17 teaching staff at St Andrew’s School Turi tested positive and negative for Covid-19 just three days later. The samples were initially tested at Lancet, but when the school sought a second opinion at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri), the results turned negative.
