Kitui priest who defied quarantine order transferred to Mbagathi Hospital with coronavirus-like symptoms

Kitui priest who defied quarantine order transferred to Mbagathi Hospital with coronavirus-like symptoms

A Kitui County Catholic priest, Father Nicholas Maanzo who had returned to the country from Ireland via Italy has been transferred to the Mbagathi Hospital isolation ward.

Citizen Digital understands that he was transferred to the hospital after exhibiting coronavirus-like symptoms.

The man of cloth had previously failed to go into the requisite self-quarantine in contradiction with the government’s directive to Kenyans returning home from abroad.

He is set to be tested for the new coronavirus which has so far infected 38 people in the country.

Maanzo who hails from Kitui Central flew back to Kenya on Monday, March 23 from Italy.

A few days later after his arrival, he was spotted in Kitui town and forced into self-quarantine by police officers.

According to Kitui Central Sub-county DCI boss Nzioka Singi, the priest returned to Kenya from Italy through Ireland and was 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.

On Wednesday, the police boss, who was accompanied by Kitui County health officers, went to the priest’s home at Kihara village where they are said to have only reprimanded him before demanding that he remains on self-quarantine.

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

The priest claimed he left his house since he did not have any 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.

“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.

This comes as the latest reckless incident of a clergyman flouting the self-quarantine directive. In Siaya County, a Rome-based Catholic priest returned to the country and went ahead to lead mass during a burial in Ugunja, Siaya County.

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