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Homa Bay Governor Cyprian Awiti on Sunday demanded that travellers from Nairobi barred from entering the county to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Homa Bay on Saturday joined the list of counties with Covid-19 cases after a 26-year-old man who travelled from Nairobi tested positive.
Awiti said it was time the national government stopped people from travelling out of the capital city. Nairobi has more than 70 per cent of Kenya's 262 confirmed cases of Covid-19.
President Uhuru Kenyatta on April 6 ordered a cessation of movement in and out of Nairobi to prevent the spread of the virus. However, families are being allowed to transport bodies of their loved ones upcountry for burial.
The Homa Bay case arose after the man left Nairobi with an empty coffin and eight passengers pretending they were ferrying a body home for burial.
All the eight and their contacts have been put in mandatory quarantine.
Awiti cited the case as reason to bar people from travelling out of Nairobi.
“There is need to stop people, especially from Nairobi from gaining entry into Hom Bay. We must use all methods to prevent the spread of coronavirus,” Awiti said. He spoke in Homa Bay town.
The patient was taken to the Malela Covid-19 isolation centre in Ndhiwa constituency. The passengers and contacts were quarantined at KMTC in Homa Bay town.
The group travelled on a Nissan matatu, saying they were to attend a funeral at Kadede village in Seka, Karachuonyo constituency.
The Homa Bay Covid-19 surveillance team was on Saturday tracing contacts after it emerged the driver interacted with some of his family members in Seka village and other relatives who attended the funeral.
“I condemn strongly the behaviour of these mourners. They pretentiously carried an empty coffin and transported coronavirus to Homa Bay,” Awiti said.
The governor asked those who interacted with the patient to come forward for testing. He urged residents to collaborate with police and the Covid-19 coordinating team in the fight against coronavirus.
“Let people who came in contact with the driver to voluntary reach us for quarantine. I want our people to personally take the responsibility of fighting the disease,” Awiti said.
The governor said it was shocking that some people were using unfortunate cases like funerals to spread coronavirus to rural populations.
Security officers on Sunday blocked another group of 13 people who travelled from Nairobi to Kendu Bay to attend a funeral.
“We’re alert at our entry points and security officers will not allow anybody to enter Homa Bay without proper reason. Those who won’t comply will be charged,” Awiti said.
On Sunday, county commissioner Yatich Kipkemei said they will be subjecting Nairobi travelers to mandatory quarantine.
“You must prepare to stay at our quarantine centres for at least 14 days. We’ll only release you after knowing your status on Covid-19,” Kipkemei said.
Edited by Peter Obuya
