From Nairobi to Kisii on motorbike: How two men beat city lockdown

On Saturday, April 18, at 6am, two men set off from Nairobi on a 315-kilometre journey to Kisii on a motorcycle, beating all security roadblocks mounted on roads leading out of the capital city following a lockdown order issued by President Uhuru Kenyatta two weeks ago.

Riding on a TVS 150 motorcycle, the two cousins — Mr Joshua Kerage, 30, and Mr Joseph Ratemo - would manoeuvre through the road checks, arriving at their Chirichiro home in Kerera at around noon, to the amazement of villagers.

Ratemo, a casual worker in Kayole, had spent the night at Kerage’s home in Embakasi from where they would set off for the close to seven-hour journey at dawn.

They spent Sh800 on fuel, according to Kerage, who is a boda-boda rider. Ever since the two arrived upcountry at midday that Saturday, villagers aware about the Nairobi lockdown and the Covid-19 threat have been thrown into panic.

On April 6, President Kenyatta announced the cessation of all movement by air, road or rail to and from the Nairobi Metropolitan Area to arrest the spread of coronavirus.

When the Nation team visited the village on Tuesday, locals were still yet to come to terms with how the two managed to pass through several roadblocks so easily.

VIRUS SCREENING

According to the area assistant chief Haron Mosomi, he received a call from villagers on Sunday at around 8am, informing him about the arrival of the two.

He alerted Keumbu Assistant County Commissioner Joshua Muthoka, who in turn liaised with health officials who proceeded to the village to have them screened.

“I got information from locals that two relatives, who have been staying in Nairobi had managed to arrive here despite the government’s directive of cessation of movement of people in and out the capital. One of them is a boda-boda operator in Embakasi estate while the other lives in Kayole,” said the administrator.

According to Kerage, they encountered four roadblocks at Limuru, Narok, Bomet and the last one at Keroka, in the border of Kisii and Nyamira counties.

He told Nation that they were only screened at the roadblocks. The police officers neither asked them where they were coming from nor where they were heading to, they claimed.

The two said they were forced to flee the city since life had become unbearable.

COST OF LIVING

He said that since the virus had affected most businesses, his boda-boda enterprise had also not been spared, hence they opted to return to the village.

“There was no need for me to continue staying locked in a house yet I didn’t have anything to eat. So I decided to come back home,” Mr Kerage said.

He further revealed that this was not the first time he was travelling using a motorbike from Nairobi, as this was his most preferred mode of transport, only that this time he spent less than usual. He usually spends around Sh1,000, he said.

Mr Ratemo, too, said the cost of living had become intolerable.

A week ago, the county government of Kisii rolled out a screening programme at its entry points to pick out any Covid-19 threats.

One of the centres is in Keroka, and the two confirmed to have passed through there.

This also raises concern on how the officers manning the road checks are conducting the screening and whether the same is effective.

FORCED QUARANTINE

The two have since been put in a forced quarantine at their homes with family members whom they had come into contact with.

According to Kisii county commissioner Stephen Kihara, samples of the two had been sent to Kisumu for testing.

“Health officials visited the area and the suspects were put under quarantine. The process of contact tracing has since commenced,” he said.

Separately, in a neighbouring village of Riangabi in Kerera, another person who travelled from Murang’a has also been put in quarantine.

He is also said to have travelled to the village on the same day but using a matatu.

Locals have since been commended for reporting suspicious cases of people arriving from urban centres.