The Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims has supported the state's move to restrict movement in and out of Nairobi’s Eastleigh and Old Town in Mombasa.
Acting national chairman Hassan ole Naado said the council admitted that the restriction of the movement is punitive to residents but necessary for the health of both affected residents and the rest of the Kenyan public.
“Our sympathies and prayers are with the people adversely affected by the restrictions given that a majority of residents are Muslims whose social welfare and well-being fall within the mandate of Supkem to protect and promote,” Naado said in a press statement.
He said the government has taken necessary steps to ensure essential services providers, especially those in water, sanitation and electricity provision, are exempted from the restrictions.
“However, we call upon the government to ensure that unnecessary bureaucracy does not hamper or slow down the vetting and clearance of the essential service providers to move in and out of the restricted areas,” he said.
The council boss pointed out that both Eastleigh and Old Town are traditionally water-scarce areas and that supply to both areas has always been undertaken by informal small-scale vendors using handcarts.
“But given heavy deployment of security personnel to enforce restrictions in the affected areas, we have already received reports that the small-scale water vendors are scared to venture in and out of the affected areas to meet and sustain the daily demand for water. This unforeseen situation could lead to yet another sanitation and humanitarian disaster in those areas,” he said.
He called on the concerned authorities to ensure that the restriction of movement is enforced with the least possible disruption of the livelihood of residents.
“We invite the concerned government agencies to consult and work with Supkem, other faith and community-based organisations where possible and when convenient in order to ensure that that our collective efforts as a nation to contain Covid-19 pandemic meet the intended objectives effectively,” he noted.
Edited by R.Wamochie
