The Turkana government has asked the national government to provide testing kits for Covid-19 after reporting a case of the virus.
Turkana Deputy Governor Peter Lotethiro said the national government should set up two testing centres in Kainuk in Turkana South and Kalobeyei in Turkana West.
On Sunday, Turkana reported the first case of Covid-19, becoming the 29th county to report a case.
“We can confirm that a 32-year-old Somali national residing in Kenya registered as a refugee at Kakuma camp has tested positive for the virus,” Lotethiro said.
He said the patient travelled from Kakuma refugee camp to Eastleigh in Nairobi allegedly to evacuate his 31-year-old sister who had a child.
Lotethiro said the two testing points requested would boost their services by conducting targeted testing to combat the spread of the virus.
“We urge the national government to at least provide testing kits for Covid-19 so that we set up two testing centres in Turkana. A testing centre at Kainuk will test travelers and truck drivers plying the Mombasa-Juba route," he said.
"Another testing point at Kalobeyei refugee camp will help to conduct mass testing of both refugees at Kakuma and the host community in Turkana West.”
Lotethiro said following the reported first case of Covid-19 in Kakuma refugee camp, no refugee should be allowed to leave or enter the camp.
He said before the case was confirmed, the security team had put Kakuma refugee camp on lockdown but still the Somali man managed to sneak out of the camp and travel to Nairobi.
Lotethiro warned that no truck driver should pass at Kainuk to enter Turkana without a health certificate showing they had tested negative for the virus.
He urged all partners in Turkana to provide the necessary support to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Edited by Henry Makori
