Turkana pastoralists have been urged to use available water and pasture for their livestock and not cross into Uganda for more because of the Covid-19 outbreak.
Charles Mbulishe, the deputy county commissioner for Loima subcounty, said the herders risk contracting Covid-19 if they move across borders.
“Recently we experienced heavy rains and I'm sure pasture for livestock have sprouted. I urge pastoralists not to cross to Uganda until the virus is contained,” he said.
The pastoralists in the border region regularly migrate to Uganda in search of water and pasture for their livestock during droughts.
Mbulishe said Loima residents have been informed about the pandemic and are adhering to government directives to curb the spread of the virus.
He said residents travelling from Uganda to Kenya are being screened at Lowa and persons from Lodwar entering Loima are also checked up at Nadapal.
In May, 6,000 nomadic pastoralists from Uganda were among 300,000 people in Turkana county screened for Covid-19.
Agriculture county executive Philip Aemun said more than 6,000 pastoralist families from Uganda had crossed into Turkana using the Loima border corridor.
“The ministry speedily responded by sending animal disease surveillance teams to handle the possible cross-infection. At the same time, officers from the department of health screened the pastoralists for Covid-19,” he said.
(edited by o. owino)
