Kenya confirmed 16 more positive cases on April 18 to take the country's tally to 262 with 12 deaths and 60 recoveries
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Shopping malls and shops in Eastleigh were on Saturday closed as fumigation of the Nairobi business area began.
The exercise was being conducted by the Nairobi county public health department.
Deputy director for public health Wilson Langat said the fumigation will be conducted throughout the afternoon.
"Eastleigh has many business stalls and malls and since they have been closed, it will be easier for fumigation to be conducted," Langat said.
The Eastleigh Business Community has been closed indefinitely.
The decision was made after it emerged that most people in malls were not observing the government directive that require social distancing.
As of April 18, Kenya's Covid-19 tally stood at 262.
Eastleigh Business Community secretary general Omar Hussein on Friday said the decision was arrived at without any notice from the government.
“This is necessary since the coronavirus outbreak is real and most people in malls are not adhering to the directives from the government on prevention,” Hussein said.
The ministries of Health and Interior had given the businessmen an ultimatum after it emerged that the highest positive cases were concentrated in the area.
The government was planning to impose stiffer measures in the area.
"By today, GSU contingents will be deployed in Eastleigh. If the security measures fail, the government would have no choice but to put Eastleigh under a total lockdown," a notice reads.
The traders have also asked the government to consider the community when they begin mass testing, saying the area was densely populated.
They want the fumigation exercise extended to the streets and avenues and garbage collected.
On March 28, the Nairobi public health department and the Ministry of Health fumigated Eastleigh 1st and 2nd avenues.
Edited by Peter Obuya