Murugi apologizes over HIV/Aids remarks

[Guest guest]

Murugi apologizes over HIV/Aids remarks

Written By:Stella Kalekye/ Wanja,

Posted: Thu, Feb 03, 2011

Minister for special programmes Esther Murugi has apologized for her statement

during an AIDS workshop in Mombasa last month.

During the workshop Murugi said perhaps it is time the government explored the

policy of isolating those infected with HIV/AIDs as was done in Cuba. This she

argued could perhaps reduce the infection rates.

However, Murugi maintains that she was quoted out of context clarifying that

she only gave examples of how the AIDS pandemic has been fought in various

countries to initiate debate on how based the country can handle the situation.

Addressing journalists in Nairobi Thursday, the minister stated that she was not

suggesting that the country adopts an isolation policy against the HIV/AIDs

patients.

" I have been shocked by the misrepresentation of my remarks during this

conference (the Mombasa Conference on HIV and Aids) where in my off the cuff

remarks, I used the example of Cuba on the incarceration of people living with

HIV, " said Murugi.

Murugi said her comments were intended to encourage voluntary testing and

counseling, with 57% of the country population shying away from the exercise.

However, Murugi said she is willing to protect those that might have been

affected by her comments.

" 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 counseling

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

services, " said Murugi.

She said Kenya's HIV response is based on Human rights principles and prohibits

discrimination on grounds of HIV status and supports the right of people living

with HIV to participate as full actors with dignity as well as the right to

treatment for HIV as part of the right to the highest standards of health.

The National Empowerment Network of people living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya -

NEPHAK chairman Njuguna said that following Murugi's apology and

clarification, the organization will not hold a protest march as earlier

announced.

The recent controversy was not the first for the special programmes minister.

Last year, Murugi occasioned a storm following comments she made over the rights

of the gay community in the country.

She called on the government to recognise the Gay, Lesbian and Transgender

community so that they could be included in the HIV/AIDS programmes.

Murugi said that Kenya has made tremendous success in tackling HIV and its

prevalence has declined from a high of 14 percent in 1990s to an average of 6

percent among adults in 2009/2010.

The Minister is expected to issue a statement next week in Parliament to shed

light on what she meant by her statements. The statement was sought by Imenti

Central MP Gitobu Imanyara who also wants the government to state its policy on

HIV/Aids.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Raila Odinga said Murugi's statement does not

reflect the government's position while First Lady Mama Lucy Kibaki urged

Kenyans to ignore impractical and retrogressive public utterances that threaten

to erode admirable gains so far achieved in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the

country.

In a statement, the First Lady noted that over 1.45 million Kenyans currently

living with the HIV/Aids virus deserve care, love and compassion and not

confinement or seclusion.

Noting that she has devotedly been involved in the fight against the pandemic,

through the Kenya Chapter of the Organization of African First Ladies against

HIV/Aids (OAFLA), Mrs Kibaki affirmed that confinement not only amount to

violation of fundamental human rights but also aggravates stigmatization of

infected persons.

Noting that isolation was the worst form of stigmatizing AIDS patients, the

First Lady said the situation would worsen because stigmatization had thus far

turned AIDS into a silent killer yet early testing and interventions would

enable many people lead normal lives if they adjusted accordingly.

Under the OAFLA's outreach work on HIV/AIDS in the country, the First Lady

assured that one of her critical commitments has been the elimination of stigma

and associated discrimination of people living with the HIV virus.

http://www.kbc.co.ke/news.asp?nid=68747

[Guest guest]

Murugi apologizes over HIV/Aids remarks

Written By:Stella Kalekye/ Wanja,

Posted: Thu, Feb 03, 2011

Minister for special programmes Esther Murugi has apologized for her statement

during an AIDS workshop in Mombasa last month.

During the workshop Murugi said perhaps it is time the government explored the

policy of isolating those infected with HIV/AIDs as was done in Cuba. This she

argued could perhaps reduce the infection rates.

However, Murugi maintains that she was quoted out of context clarifying that

she only gave examples of how the AIDS pandemic has been fought in various

countries to initiate debate on how based the country can handle the situation.

Addressing journalists in Nairobi Thursday, the minister stated that she was not

suggesting that the country adopts an isolation policy against the HIV/AIDs

patients.

" I have been shocked by the misrepresentation of my remarks during this

conference (the Mombasa Conference on HIV and Aids) where in my off the cuff

remarks, I used the example of Cuba on the incarceration of people living with

HIV, " said Murugi.

Murugi said her comments were intended to encourage voluntary testing and

counseling, with 57% of the country population shying away from the exercise.

However, Murugi said she is willing to protect those that might have been

affected by her comments.

" 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 counseling

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

services, " said Murugi.

She said Kenya's HIV response is based on Human rights principles and prohibits

discrimination on grounds of HIV status and supports the right of people living

with HIV to participate as full actors with dignity as well as the right to

treatment for HIV as part of the right to the highest standards of health.

The National Empowerment Network of people living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya -

NEPHAK chairman Njuguna said that following Murugi's apology and

clarification, the organization will not hold a protest march as earlier

announced.

The recent controversy was not the first for the special programmes minister.

Last year, Murugi occasioned a storm following comments she made over the rights

of the gay community in the country.

She called on the government to recognise the Gay, Lesbian and Transgender

community so that they could be included in the HIV/AIDS programmes.

Murugi said that Kenya has made tremendous success in tackling HIV and its

prevalence has declined from a high of 14 percent in 1990s to an average of 6

percent among adults in 2009/2010.

The Minister is expected to issue a statement next week in Parliament to shed

light on what she meant by her statements. The statement was sought by Imenti

Central MP Gitobu Imanyara who also wants the government to state its policy on

HIV/Aids.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Raila Odinga said Murugi's statement does not

reflect the government's position while First Lady Mama Lucy Kibaki urged

Kenyans to ignore impractical and retrogressive public utterances that threaten

to erode admirable gains so far achieved in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the

country.

In a statement, the First Lady noted that over 1.45 million Kenyans currently

living with the HIV/Aids virus deserve care, love and compassion and not

confinement or seclusion.

Noting that she has devotedly been involved in the fight against the pandemic,

through the Kenya Chapter of the Organization of African First Ladies against

HIV/Aids (OAFLA), Mrs Kibaki affirmed that confinement not only amount to

violation of fundamental human rights but also aggravates stigmatization of

infected persons.

Noting that isolation was the worst form of stigmatizing AIDS patients, the

First Lady said the situation would worsen because stigmatization had thus far

turned AIDS into a silent killer yet early testing and interventions would

enable many people lead normal lives if they adjusted accordingly.

Under the OAFLA's outreach work on HIV/AIDS in the country, the First Lady

assured that one of her critical commitments has been the elimination of stigma

and associated discrimination of people living with the HIV virus.

http://www.kbc.co.ke/news.asp?nid=68747