Stay away from Murang'a, says Governor Wa Iria

@Alicewangechi

Murang’a Governor Mwangi wa Iria wants the government to limit inter-county movement of people to control the spread of coronavirus. 

Wa Iria said the history of the disease shows it is spread by travellers who do not know that they have been infected.

“We will have to get a formula for people to explain why and where to they are travelling but we are asking visitors to stay away from Murang’a,” he said.

He said his county is considering the measures to discourage the movement of people into and from Murang'a.

The governor said his team will start visiting matatu termini to sensitise passengers about the need to limit their movements unless absolutely necessary.

The governor said social visits should be discouraged and people advised to stay in their homes.

“Wherever someone is, even if you are visiting someone in Murang’a, stay there. If you need assistance with food, we will assist you,” he said.

Wa Iria said even though the call to limit movement may rub matatu operators the wrong way, the decision may save the lives of many.

The governor spoke in his offices in Murang’a town on Friday while disbursing over 1,000 litres of sanitisers for distribution in high-risk areas.

He said the county government had devised a formula to produce its own sanitiser after traders hiked the prices of commercial ones.

The formula, he said, ensures the county has a sufficient supply to sustain the hygiene standards required to keep the virus at bay while reducing the cost.

He said the sanitiser is produced by doctors and has been tested and certified in labs for quality control.

“We produced another 1,000 litres on Thursday and distributed it to matatu termini and markets and we will continue to produce it to suit the needs of the county,” he said.

Wa Iria also noted that many residents have been travelling to the neighbouring counties to access bars which have been closed down in the county.

He said it is paramount for counties in the region to enforce harmonised measures so as not to have a counter-productive effect.

County commander Mohamed Barre said countries that have been worst hit by the virus dismissed the calls to limit their movements and are now undergoing a total lockdown.

“Movement should be done on need-basis even though we are not yet in a major lockdown,” he said.

He asked parents to confine their children in their homes saying allowing them to interact with other children beats the objective of the closure of learning institutions.

Barre urged organisations with swimming pools to close them down because they are attracting hordes of young people.

“Allowing our young ones to converge in social places is the same as being in school,” he said.

Murang’a Jamia and Mjini mosques have stopped their Friday prayers and all others were asked to follow suit.

“We cannot be more Muslim than the origin of Islam in Mecca which is also not holding prayers. In the same vein, if nothing is going on in St Peter’s Square in the Vatican, Christians should also follow suit and limit the number of people converging in places of worship,” he said.

He said soap and water have already been distributed in all public places.  

 “No threat has been detected in Murang’a but we are asking the public to co-operate and support the efforts being made by the two levels of government to shun the virus,” he said.

(edited by o. owino)