• Duale said Eastleigh traders had complied with the preventative measures and moving forward, would observe the guidelines even as business resumes.
• On Sunday evening, 39 Somali women were arrested at Nasra Estate, along Spine road in Nairobi’s Eastlands while attending a wedding celebration.
Image: COURTESY
National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale has urged the Muslim community to refrain from social visits in city estates.
This comes after the Eastleigh Business Community re-opened their stalls on Tuesday after their earlier closure over failure to comply with the Health Ministry guidelines in combatting the spread of the coronavirus.
Speaking to the Star on Wednesday, Duale said the traders had complied with the preventative measures and moving forward, would observe the guidelines even as business resumes.
“The business community has pledged to comply and will strictly observe social distancing, wearing of masks and sanitization," he said.
However, The Garissa Township MP urged the Somali community to stop social gatherings even as they approach the holy month of Ramadan to prevent further spread of Covid-19.
President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday said there will be no curfew extension for Muslims during the month of Ramadan.
The President maintained that just like Christians who were forced to mark Easter celebrations at their homes, Muslims should not expect special treatment during the holy month.
He, however, acknowledged the two events as very important in both Muslims and Christians’ calendars but asked for understanding saying the country is currently faced with unprecedented health challenges.
Muslims will start observing the holy month from Thursday (April 23) through to May 23.
On Sunday evening, 39 Somali women were arrested at Nasra Estate, along Spine road in Nairobi’s Eastlands while attending a wedding celebration.
This comes even as the government emphasized the need for Kenyans to practice social distancing.
Duale mentioned South C and Eastleigh estates as areas with a dense population of the Somali Community.
The areas have already recorded confirmed cases of the Covid-19.
“The problem is the Somali people are an extended family community and fond of moving in a crowd. But we have to observe behaviour change as we are living in extraordinary times due to the virus,” Duale explained.
“Let us avoid unnecessary movements that can put people at risk of contracting Covid-19 as the government steps up efforts in the fight against the virus."
Call on leaders
In addition, Duale called upon all elected leaders to reach out to their constituents in vernacular language to help in sensitization of the pandemic.
On Monday, he met prominent Somali Muslim scholars and used the forum to create awareness on how to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Duale said that leaders should take up the daily updates from the Ministry of Health and break down the communication to the people back in the rural areas.
“We cannot assume that people our people back in the village tune in for the daily updates. Our own President went to Kameme FM and reached out to the Kikuyu community in a language which even the elderly would understand better,” he explained.
“What Kagwe does is not enough for sensitisation countrywide and we want leaders to come out find a medium of communication to speak to the people on the health protocol and dangers of Covid -19.”