This archive report was first published on 27 April 2020.
Published on April 27, 2020, a top scientist at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) has been demoted for failing to provide COVID-19 sample results to the Health Ministry on time.
Dr. Joel Lutomiah, a renowned expert with over 40 years of experience in entomology, parasitology, pandemic influenza, and arbovirology, was serving as the director of the KEMRI Center for Virus Research and chairman of the KEMRI Rapid Response team.
Kenya's Health Minister, Mutahi Kagwe, instructed KEMRI Director-General Yeri Kombe to remove Lutomiah from his position with immediate effect, citing the delayed submission of COVID-19 results as the reason.
According to a letter to Lutomiah, he was relieved of his duties as the Director, Centre for Virus, with immediate effect, due to his failure to honor a matter of serious national importance.
The Health Ministry defended Lutomiah's dismissal, stating that the move was necessary to streamline and improve the coordination of test results being received in good time.
Kenya has recorded 14 deaths and 106 recoveries from the coronavirus, with the national tally standing at 355 cases.
The COVID-19 pandemic has spread to at least 185 countries and regions, with Europe and the US currently the worst-hit, resulting in over 206,000 deaths and over 2.9 million cases worldwide.
