This archive report was first published on 8 August 2020.
On August 8, 2020, Kenya's Health Ministry announced plans to decentralise Covid-19 testing, amid concerns about the lack of clarity on where to get tested for the virus.
Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe stated that there were 32 testing facilities across the country, with more being set up, and that counties without testing centres would have to transport samples to Nairobi or other nearby locations for testing, resulting in delayed results.
Acting Director-General for Health Services, Dr. Patrick Amoth, attributed the challenge in setting up testing centres to the lack of reagents applicable to testing systems, which are manufactured in Western and Eastern countries and are not readily available.
As part of the decentralisation plan, CS Kagwe urged counties with few cases of the virus to intensify contact tracing.
The Ministry and experts have noted that the daily released figures are not an accurate reflection of the country's situation.
Kenya had a total of 25,837 confirmed Covid-19 cases, including 418 deaths and 11,899 recoveries, as of August 8, 2020.
CS Kagwe spoke against the politicisation of health matters, saying it would detail the campaign to contain the surge in coronavirus cases.
He praised Kakamega County's preparations, saying they had made significant progress in setting up a 300-bed capacity hospital, and urged all counties to ensure they attain the minimum bed capacity as cases have been increasing at county level.
CS Kagwe pledged to ensure county governments continue to receive support from the national government, including provision of personal protective equipment and masks for use by healthcare workers in the fight against the pandemic.
He also praised health workers and said the government will ensure they are well cared for during the pandemic and after it is contained to ensure they are safe and that they remain motivated in their service to the sick.
