COVID-19: Please bear with us, government tells stranded passengers

The government on Tuesday apologised to passengers who were left stranded at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

Cabinet Secretary for Heath Mutahi Kagwe said the situation was occasioned by the huge numbers of passengers streaming in.

"Please bear with us for the inconveniences caused. It is only that we need to do this as we are not leaving anything to chance," Kagwe said.

He said though the issues have been sorted, more measures are being put in place to ease the situation.

Kagwe said all the interventions are aimed at stopping the spread of the disease whose positive cases now stand at 25 cases in the country.

"As a result, all contacts under the tracing and all passengers arriving in the country will be subjected to mandatory testing and quarantine as earlier advised," he said.

He said some 748 people are currently being traced.

Kagwe said the government will be announcing further measures aimed at preventing further spread.

There have been concerns of several passengers being stranded at JKIA After the government directive that they are quarantined.

Kagwe had ordered the suspension of all international flights from midnight Wednesday and directed that any passengers arriving in the intervening period would be quarantined at designated premises.

Some passengers who landed at 9:50 pm on Monday have not been addressed by anyone after their arrival at JKIA via British Airways.

By 4:57 am on Tuesday, they were still stranded at the airport.

 "No tests have been done, no direction. There is nothing here whatsoever," a woman, who only wanted to be identified as Wanjiru, told the Star on Tuesday.

 With no clear details of what is expected of them, Wanjiru said there were no guidelines on what they need to do upon their arrival.

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