Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has restricted movement in and out of the Nairobi Metropolitan area as well as Counties of Kilifi, Kwale, and Mombasa. While Nairobi has implemented the ban, the other three Counties will effect the same on Wednesday.
This is as authorities move to flatten the coronavirus infections curve. The new directive involves a clampdown on all movement by road, rail or air in and out of the affected regions. The restriction on movement will remain in place for 21 days.
Movement within the Nairobi Metropolitan Area and the three mentioned counties will continue.
“In the intervening period movement in and out of the counties of Kilifi, Kwale and Mombasa shall be restricted and supervised by the Kenya Police,” said President Uhuru Kenyatta while announcing the shutdown.
Affected regions that form the Nairobi Metropolitan area include Nairobi City County, part of Kiambu County up to Chania,River Bridge (Thika), including Rironi, Ndenderu and Kiambu Town.
Other COVID 19 flashpoints affected include part of Machakos County up to Athi-River, including Katani; part of Kajiado County including Kitengela, Kiserian, Ongata Rongai and Ngong Town.
Any person, passenger-carrying bicycles, motorcycles, scooters, automobiles, vehicles, vessels, railway wagons or aircrafts will be shut out of Nairobi Metropolitan Area and the counties of Kilifi, Kwale, and Mombasa.
The movement of food supplies and other cargo will continue as normal during the declared containment period.
“Any cargo-carrying vehicle shall be charged to a single driver and designated assistants; all of whom shall be designated as such in writing by the owner or operator of the said vehicle with reference to that vehicle,” said President Kenyatta.
Kenyatta said that it is necessary to take such measures before COVID19 spreads out of control, and that all must be ready to go even further if necessary.
Kenya’s containment measures in Nairobi, Kilifi, Kwale, and Mombasa follow a similar directive in Kampala, Uganda capital city.
Officials in Uganda have donated food to vulnerable people living in the metropolitan area of Kampala during the lockdown. Stringent measures have been employed to stop the spread of the coronavirus, with many jobless and vulnerable sections of the population receiving food deliveries from the state. The door-to-door food delivery targets some 1.5 million people, made up of the urban poor in Kampala.
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