Nambale MP John Bunyasi wants President Uhuru Kenyatta to deploy the Kenyan Defence Forces to secure the country’s porous borders.
The MP on Monday said porous borders are becoming a threat to Kenyans’ health as foreigners continue to enter the country unchecked. This, he said, may increase the spread of Covid-19.
KDF’s primary responsibility is to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Kenya.
“We have a very long boundary with our neighbours and it is hard to control movement. What Kenya should do, we have our military, keep them busy. Let them secure our border during coronavirus period as police manage the controls within the community. Deploy the military,” he said.
Bunyasi spoke when he rolled out a ‘Stop-Corona Initiative’ which aims at supplementing efforts by the national government to curb the virus’ spread. The legislator said many foreigners, despite the President closing borders, still find their way into the country hence frustrating efforts to contain coronavirus.
The MP spoke a month after Governor Sospeter Ojaamong raised similar concerns saying the number of Ugandans coming into Kenya through illegal points was worrying despite the closure of the border Kenyatta and Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni.
“Security apparatus should ensure that is stopped with immediate effect. The Ugandan government has barred Kenyans from crossing into Uganda,” Ojaamong said on April 20.
“We are very lenient to people who are allowed to stream into the country with impunity, oblivious of the Covid-19 pandemic which is ravaging the world.”
Uhuru on Saturday announced that the Kenya borders with Tanzania and Somalia had been shut after it emerged some foreigners entering Kenya had tested positive for coronavirus. This raised concerns over the necessity to allow the borders to remain open.
The Kenya-Uganda border was closed by Museveni and Uhuru on March 22 and 23 respectively.
On Saturday when Uhuru addressed the nation, it emerged that among the positive cases registered in the country last week, some had crossed into the country from neighbouring Somalia and Tanzania.
Out of the 43, 14 were from Wajir, 10 from Isebania, 16 from Namanga border, two from Lungalunga and one at Loitoktok, data as per Friday last week indicated.
Additionally, 78 truck drivers who are foreign nationals were denied entry into the country at various border crossing points after testing positive for the virus.
Edited by R.Wamochie
