By Betty Luke
Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi has narrated his horrifying encounter with Covid-19 that he says has greatly changed his perspective towards different matters including politics.
The Jubilee Governor said despite him wearing a KN95 mask every time he was out in the public and taking Covid-19 jab days earlier, he tested positive for the disease after several tests.
At the time he was taking the vaccine on March 9, 2021, he was experiencing general body weakness, which persisted after the jab and therefore he thought they were side effects of the vaccine that would disappear in a day or two.
At first, the Governor says he did not experience symptoms similar to those associated with the disease although felt a little bit dizzy and only survived on over-the-counter painkillers which did not work.
“The side-effects did not go away. Extreme fatigue, headaches, sore throat, and confusion of the mind persisted, I was still convinced that all this was the continued side effects of the AstraZeneca vaccine which would go away with time,” the Governor shared.
On March 14, while attending his wife’s birthday party that was organized by their children in Nairobi, the Governor felt weak and was forced to leave before the party was over to relax in his house.
“I had great difficulty “surviving” the party,” he said.
Little did he know that two days later, his fifth CoronaVirus test would turn out positive, leading to his admission at Nairobi Hospital and treatment immediately began.
“The doctors gave me hope but I could see they were not definite,” he went on.
At that point, he says, the news of Tanzania President John Pombe Magufuli kept reminding him of the possibility of his exiting the world from the disease.
It was a time to unite with friends and even his political foes through calls and SMSs, regardless of what they said or did.
“Corona had brought us together. When you fall sick or dead, suddenly you become everyone’s friend,” he noted.
On March 22, despite still being Covid-19 positive, the Governor was discharged to complete treatment in isolation at home though under strict observance by medical personnel.
The Governor says the experience has greatly changed his political view and will therefore always have important things before politics.
“I thank Corona for helping me to find myself and to liberate me from others,”
