• Matiang'i says roadblocks will be moved to allow people residing out of the Nairobi metropolis access to city workplaces.
• The CS said the dusk to dawn curfew must nevertheless be adhered to even in transporting the dead outside the counties.
Image: FILE
Bereaved families in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kwale and Kilifi will be allowed to transport their loved ones for burial outside the counties, Interior CS Fred Matiang’i has said.
He, however, clarified that this is subject to a case-to-case review by the police and security agencies and must be done outside the dusk to dawn curfew.
“Even as we focus on ensuring strict adherence to the curfew, we must as government use common sense while enforcing it,” the CS said.
A 21-day cessation of movement order was imposed on the four counties on Monday by President Uhuru Kenyatta. It is aimed at combating the spread of the coronavirus after statistics indicated that most of the 172 confirmed Covid-19 cases (on Monday) in the country originated from there.
Uhuru said 82 per cent of the cases are in Nairobi while the other three counties accounted for 14 per cent.
The cessation applies to air, rail and motorised means of transport. It was effected at 7pm on Monday in Nairobi, locking tens of hundreds of travellers who were caught unawares outside the city.
The restriction of movement in Kilifi, Kwale and Mombasa started Wednesday also Gt 7pm.
Matiang’i’s remarks point to a government that appears to be softening its stance on the implementation of the curfew to accommodate special cases.
Government spokesperson Cyrus Oguna on Tuesday ruled out the possibility of bereaved families travelling out of the four counties to bury their dead. He spoke on Citizen TV.
"For anyone who might have a body to bury out of Nairobi, what that means is that that body will have to be buried here (in Nairobi). We cannot risk the lives of those people who are outside Nairobi," Oguna said.
He said the government would chip in where possible to help families unable to bury their relatives in Nairobi.
Yesterday, Matiang’i told the Star in his office at Harambee House that patients from outside the restricted areas who need emergency treatment in Nairobi will be allowed to access the capital city.
“If we have a patient in Naivasha who needs urgent treatment in Nairobi, we cannot deny him access. These are unforeseen circumstances and we must find ways to help each other.”
He stated that the government has no plan to punish or frustrate Kenyans.
When asked about the plight of people who work in Nairobi but reside outside the restricted zones, the CS said officers manning roadblocks have been instructed to allow them to access the city.
“We have looked into it. I was personally at Kamulu bridge on Tuesday and saw that there are people who live just across the bridge. We agreed to move the roadblock a bit further."
The CS said security agencies are looking into the possibility of moving the roadblock at Kiserian to enable those beyond the cutline to access the city.
“We don’t want residents in those areas who work in the city to have problems.”
The minister defended the curfew, saying it is well-intentioned to protect all Kenyans from Covid-19.
He said Kenyans should draw examples from most affected regions like the US, Italy and Spain where the disease is killing people in droves.
“We want to see how we can all escape this tragedy that has befallen us. The disease has no respect for the status or financial position of an individual. The UK Prime Minister is currently in ICU,” Matiang’i said.
Edited by R.Wamochie