Covid-19: Marsabit, Mandera shut county borders
Kargi village in Chalbi desert, Marsabit County. Travel in and out of Marsabit and Mandera counties has been halted. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Security agencies and surveillance teams were directed to enforce the directive starting Wednesday.
The government on Wednesday closed the Marsabit-Mandera counties' borders for 21 days in a bid to stem Covid-19 spread.
Marsabit County Commissioner Evans Achoki said travel in and out of the two devolved units has been halted for a containment period following two confirmed cases of coronavirus in Mandera this week.
Security agencies and surveillance teams were directed to enforce the directive starting Wednesday.
“We discourage inter-county movements and call on the residents of the two counties to strictly remain at home unless they have some emergencies to attend to,” Mr Achoki said.
Nonetheless, movement of food supplies and other essential cargo will continue as usual on condition cargo trucks are assigned a single driver and designated assistants.
The ban will affect movement between the two counties by road, whether on foot, motor vehicles or motorcycles during the day and night.
The closure has also affected the designated border-points between Marsabit and Mandera such as Waititi, Basir, Dabel, Badan Arero and Bosnia routes.
His sentiments were reiterated by Marsabit county Governor Mohamud Ali, who said that all the inter-county movements will remain suspended.
Mr Ali said that despite the county remaining virus-free, there are high chances of viral spread based on the closeness and interdependence of the two counties.
“The report from Mandera should be of a great concern to us given the closeness of two our counties and the porousness of the borders, this is why we have made the decision to close the borders with immediate effect,” Governor Ali said.
