Kenya: MPs defend Murugi over HIV remarks

[Guest guest]

MPs defend Murugi over HIV remarks

By CAROLINE WAFULA

Posted Wednesday, February 9 2011 at 14:54

MPs who attended an HIV and Aids workshop where Cabinet minister Esther Murugi

was quoted as having said people with HIV should be segregated came to her

defence Wednesday saying she was quoted out of context.

And in a statement to the House, the Special Programmes minister said she only

put across the Cuban case of incarceration to foster discussions and debate and

never intended to imply that Kenya should adopt a similar strategy.

" This would be contrary to many human rights conventions that Kenya has signed, "

she stated, adding that ultimately such an approach would also not be successful

in controlling the epidemic.

Her alleged statement sparked an outcry and harsh criticism from rights groups

and individuals. Among those who harshly criticized the alleged statements was

First Lady Lucy Kibaki who asked the public to ignore what she described as

impractical and retrogressive public utterances that threaten to erode

achievements in management of HIV and Aids.

She said over 1.45 million Kenyans currently living with HIV deserve care, love

and compassion and not confinement or seclusion.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga also distanced the Government from the alleged

statement.

Yesterday, the Minister said Kenya has achieved great strides in management of

HIV and scaling up services to prevention, care and treatment, with a current

prevalence rate of 6 per cent among adults down from 14 per cent in 1990s.

That notwithstanding, country continues to record an average of 122, 000 new

infections with couples in heterosexual relationships making up the bulk of the

infections.

Referring to Sessional Paper Number 4 of 1997 on Aids in Kenya and HIV and AIDS

Prevention and Control Act 2006, the Minister said the Government policy was

clear and outlaws discrimination of persons with HIV.

She also quoted Section 33 (2) of the HIV and Aids Prevention and Control Act

which states that no person shall be quarantined, placed in isolation, refused

lawful entry or deported from Kenya on the grounds of their actual, perceived or

suspected HIV status.

" The laws prohibit discrimination on grounds of HIV status, supports the rights

of people living with HIV to participate as full actors with dignity and the

right to treatment of HIV as part of the right to the highest attainable

standards of health.

The Minister was quoted at the workshop that was organized for MPs on January 28

as having said people living with HIV should be isolated.

She was updating members on the progress made and challenges in national

response programmes.

She explained that during the participatory discussions and contributions, she

provided examples of other countries that have tried to control the epidemic,

citing Cuba's case in 1988 when it incarcerated people with HIV after a massive

testing campaign.

She told the House she had informed the meeting that Cuba has always had a very

low prevalence rate and very low new infections and in that way, was very

different from Kenya.

Cuba withdrew the policy in 1993.

She also cited Rwanda whose prevalence rates have reduced from a peak of 11 per

cent in the 90s to 2.8 per cent in recent times.

" In these countries, universal access and country ownership drive the HIV

response thus the low HIV incidences and lowered Aids related deaths, " she

stated.

MPs who attended the meeting said she was quoted out of context.

Chepalungu MP Isaac Ruto and Bonchari MP Onyancha said they had

understood the context under which she had spoken.

" What she said was taken out of context, the press has a strange way of using

clips to actually peddle lies, " Mr Ruto said.

" Some of us who were in Mombasa, understood, she was seeking guidance on how to

contain further spread of HIV, " said Mr Onyancha.

The minister said she had been wondering where the MPs who attended the workshop

had disappeared when she was being " crucified. "

" This has caused me a lot of stress, because I have many good friends who have

died of HIV and I have relatives who have HIV, " she said.

The Minister indicated that currently only 57 per cent of Kenya's adult

population has ever tested and this is a cause for concern.

" Controlling an epidemic of this magnitude where 1.5 million people are living

with HIV requires a massive scale up of people accessing testing and counselling

and disclosing to their sexual partners and accessing a range of prevention

services, " she stated.

She stated that while she continues to support the view that Kenya looks at

other countries approaches and learn from them in order to rid Kenya of HIV,

protecting and promoting human rights will encourage people to come forward and

access services and reduce stigma associated with the epidemic.

http://www.nation.co.ke/News/politics/-/1064/1104256/-/item/1/-/g7n1qlz/-/index.\

html

[Guest guest]

MPs defend Murugi over HIV remarks

By CAROLINE WAFULA

Posted Wednesday, February 9 2011 at 14:54

MPs who attended an HIV and Aids workshop where Cabinet minister Esther Murugi

was quoted as having said people with HIV should be segregated came to her

defence Wednesday saying she was quoted out of context.

And in a statement to the House, the Special Programmes minister said she only

put across the Cuban case of incarceration to foster discussions and debate and

never intended to imply that Kenya should adopt a similar strategy.

" This would be contrary to many human rights conventions that Kenya has signed, "

she stated, adding that ultimately such an approach would also not be successful

in controlling the epidemic.

Her alleged statement sparked an outcry and harsh criticism from rights groups

and individuals. Among those who harshly criticized the alleged statements was

First Lady Lucy Kibaki who asked the public to ignore what she described as

impractical and retrogressive public utterances that threaten to erode

achievements in management of HIV and Aids.

She said over 1.45 million Kenyans currently living with HIV deserve care, love

and compassion and not confinement or seclusion.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga also distanced the Government from the alleged

statement.

Yesterday, the Minister said Kenya has achieved great strides in management of

HIV and scaling up services to prevention, care and treatment, with a current

prevalence rate of 6 per cent among adults down from 14 per cent in 1990s.

That notwithstanding, country continues to record an average of 122, 000 new

infections with couples in heterosexual relationships making up the bulk of the

infections.

Referring to Sessional Paper Number 4 of 1997 on Aids in Kenya and HIV and AIDS

Prevention and Control Act 2006, the Minister said the Government policy was

clear and outlaws discrimination of persons with HIV.

She also quoted Section 33 (2) of the HIV and Aids Prevention and Control Act

which states that no person shall be quarantined, placed in isolation, refused

lawful entry or deported from Kenya on the grounds of their actual, perceived or

suspected HIV status.

" The laws prohibit discrimination on grounds of HIV status, supports the rights

of people living with HIV to participate as full actors with dignity and the

right to treatment of HIV as part of the right to the highest attainable

standards of health.

The Minister was quoted at the workshop that was organized for MPs on January 28

as having said people living with HIV should be isolated.

She was updating members on the progress made and challenges in national

response programmes.

She explained that during the participatory discussions and contributions, she

provided examples of other countries that have tried to control the epidemic,

citing Cuba's case in 1988 when it incarcerated people with HIV after a massive

testing campaign.

She told the House she had informed the meeting that Cuba has always had a very

low prevalence rate and very low new infections and in that way, was very

different from Kenya.

Cuba withdrew the policy in 1993.

She also cited Rwanda whose prevalence rates have reduced from a peak of 11 per

cent in the 90s to 2.8 per cent in recent times.

" In these countries, universal access and country ownership drive the HIV

response thus the low HIV incidences and lowered Aids related deaths, " she

stated.

MPs who attended the meeting said she was quoted out of context.

Chepalungu MP Isaac Ruto and Bonchari MP Onyancha said they had

understood the context under which she had spoken.

" What she said was taken out of context, the press has a strange way of using

clips to actually peddle lies, " Mr Ruto said.

" Some of us who were in Mombasa, understood, she was seeking guidance on how to

contain further spread of HIV, " said Mr Onyancha.

The minister said she had been wondering where the MPs who attended the workshop

had disappeared when she was being " crucified. "

" This has caused me a lot of stress, because I have many good friends who have

died of HIV and I have relatives who have HIV, " she said.

The Minister indicated that currently only 57 per cent of Kenya's adult

population has ever tested and this is a cause for concern.

" Controlling an epidemic of this magnitude where 1.5 million people are living

with HIV requires a massive scale up of people accessing testing and counselling

and disclosing to their sexual partners and accessing a range of prevention

services, " she stated.

She stated that while she continues to support the view that Kenya looks at

other countries approaches and learn from them in order to rid Kenya of HIV,

protecting and promoting human rights will encourage people to come forward and

access services and reduce stigma associated with the epidemic.

http://www.nation.co.ke/News/politics/-/1064/1104256/-/item/1/-/g7n1qlz/-/index.\

html