Special Programmes Minister Esther Murugi has argued that she raised the issue of Cuba on the incarceration of people living with HIV and AIDS in order to foster discussion and not for Kenya to follow suit. Speaking to the press in her office,
Murugi said incarceration of people living with HIV would be contrary to many Human Rights conventions that Kenya is a signatory to and it would not be successful in controlling the epidemic.
“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 partners and accessing a range of prevention services,” she explained.
In addition Murugi pointed out that the HIV and AIDS Prevention and Control Act 2006 states that no person shall be quarantined or placed in isolation on the grounds of the person’s actual or perceived HIV status.
“While I continue to support that we look 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 and the epidemic,” she observed.
Furthermore she assured Kenyans who are on Anti Retroviral drugs that the government has no policy of arresting or isolating them and urged them to go the clinics and get their drugs assuring them of her protection.
Speaking at the same function, National Empowerment Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya (NEPHAK) chairman Davis Njuguna said the government will protect the rights of everybody and nobody will be quarantined.
“We are grateful that she has apologized to us and she has said the perception was wrong, her intention was different,” Njuguna said.
Moreover Njuguna noted that the government through the minister had assured them that they are looking for a better means of sustaining the HIV programmes through a fund.
On her part Fatuma Ibrahim from the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights {KNHCR} urged the minister to fast track access to ARV’s and also to create an enabling environment for HIV testing.
“We request the minister to monitor the situation of what her statement has generated particular to the people who are infected and families who are affected,” she urged.
