Those detained include a member of parliament, a magistrate and several police officers who were found drinking in bars.

Police carried out raids at pubs in the capital, Nairobi, which remained opened despite stringent measures to prevent social gatherings.

Police say they carried out the arrests after being tipped off by members of the public and have warned of more similar raids.

This comes after a ninth person died from coronavirus, which has so far infected 208 people in the country.

The health minister says the government now has the capacity to test more than 1,000 people each day as it ramps up mass testing to help deal with the spread of coronavirus.

He has also warned that the state will not ease measures it has taken to control the disease. These include a dusk to dawn curfew, travel restrictions in and out of the four worst affected counties and limits on public gatherings.

The government has also insisted that all those who die due to the virus will be buried within 24 hours under the supervision of health officials. It follows public outcry after a suspected Covid-19 victim was hurriedly buried in Western Kenya over Easter with the family not allowed near the grave site.