Health CS Mutahi Kagwe has responded to claims that city preacher cum motivational speaker Robert Burale was paid to pretend he was suffering from COVID-19.
Addressing the press from Mombasa, the CS said he has never heard of the said person.
The minister for health also wondered who had paid the pastor.
“… I never heard of this guy. You are saying he has been paid, paid by who? … why would he be pretending but you have decided that he is not,” Kagwe said.
Burale on Monday revealed that he was taken ill last week on Wednesday.
In a lengthy Facebook post, he told Kenyans that he has been receiving treatment at Nairobi Hospital.
“We’ll for two days, Ladies and Gentlemen, still in shock, you are taken to a treated lift. It opens for you and you are briefed, “When the lift opens you will find somebody waiting for you” and I find a gentleman dressed in the full PPE…(this I only see in movies )…Kudos to Nairobi Hospital…..He immediately calmed me down and walked me to the bed…..As I walked through I saw grown men fighting for their lives …I was scared …VERY SCARED,” he said.
“For two days I fought for my life under the great care of the Doctors and Nurses at Nairobi Hospital….I saw the Hand of God…My progress is good ..My vitals are responding well…” he continued, noting that the deadly virus was real.
A day later, another video surfaced online with the preacher still in hospital but clad in a t-shirt and cap.
It is then that netizens cast doubts on his COVID-19 story. Some wondered why he was not in a hospital gown and why no medics were seen in the video.
Others brought up his rather peculiar past where he is said to have conned people of their hard earned money.
In December, actress Nini Wacera recalled losing Sh250,000 to Burale.
Then, he pretended to woo her before taking off with the cash meant to buy a car.
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