Matatus pose a great challenge in controlling the spread of coronavirus, Baringo Senator Gideon Moi has said and called for more precautionary measures to protect commuters.
Moi said that the government should ensure that public service vehicles are disinfected regularly.
Their operators should conversant with Covid-19 symptoms, hygiene and how to respond to emergencies, he said in a statement released on Friday.
“While we appreciate the centrality of our transport system in mobility and linkages, more precautionary measures need to be put in place.”
The government should supply the operators with disinfectants and preventive gear, he said.
The senator called on the government to map out potential risk areas, establish their unique challenges and devise requisite responsive steps to take.
The government on Wednesday confirmed seven cases of Covid-19. Eighteen people had been admitted to the Mbagathi isolation centre.
“Since Covid-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation, the world has been staring at a probable lockdown. This calls for all of us to cooperate and complement efforts by the government by observing basic hygiene, maintaining a safe distance and avoiding crowds as advised,” the Baringo senator said.
He thanked the government for regularly updating Kenyans on the disease.
“So far, the government has tremendously kept the people in the know by objectively disseminating vital information and rolling out sensitisation to the masses,” he said.
The senator commended President Uhuru Kenyatta for the measures he announced aimed at breaking the infection chain.
“Cognizance of the virus incubation period being up to 14 days, we can stop the vicious infection cycle by ensuring Kenyans intending to come back to the country are screened in respective Kenyan embassies, two weeks before their scheduled travel dates,” he said.
“This information can then be passed to the Kenyan authorities for comprehensive monitoring before, during and after travelling.”
