Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi has gone into great depth about his encounter with Covid-19, dispelling rumours that the governor had died from the virus.
Speaking for the first time in public, Governor Murungi has vowed to reshape his outlook and attitude toward life, as well as abrasive politics.
The governor revealed his experience in isolation and continued with the strict regimen as advised by his doctors, adding that his constant thought was how politics ruined him.
“My encounter with coronavirus was most unexpected. It was a most frightening experience. Coronavirus was no-longer merely an issue of statistics and emotional debates. It was now about me, and whether I would live or die. My entire life, my family, my work, and my future were suddenly at stake.” Kiraitu said.
Touching on the vaccine drive being spearheaded by the Ministry of health, Governor Kiraitu revealed how taking the vaccine was not a mere option. To him, it was a chance to show Meru county that the vaccine was safe.
“On Tuesday, March 9, I took the AstraZeneca vaccine. Although I was not feeling very well, I had to convince the people of Meru that the vaccine was safe. It was my duty as a leader to give our people confidence in the vaccine. I had been told that the side effects of the jab were high temperature, fever and a slight headache, which would disappear in a day or two. But they didnt.”
Fearing for his deteriorating health, Kiraitu saw how other leaders were still struggling to show might despite the pandemic taking a toll on them.
Making reference to Orange Democratic Movement party leader Raila Odinga, Kiraitu was saddened at how health came second to politics.
“I watched with pity, a frail-Raila Odinga, who was being treated for a Covid-19, being literally “dragged out of bed” so that he and the President could be seen together opening roads in Nairobi and Kajiado, for political optics, to show Kenyans that the “Handshake Deal” between the two was still intact,” Murungi stated.
He vowed to never compromise himself for political games, urging other politicians to rethink how important their life in politics is.
“I promised myself to pursue my dreams without seeking approval from anybody. I thank Corona for helping me to find myself, and to liberate me from others,” he concluded.
