A total 31 people who were trying to enter Garissa town from Nairobi in the past two days have been placed under forced quarantine for the next 14 days.
Two weeks ago, President Uhuru Kenyatta restricted movement in and out of Nairobi, Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale counties as part of wider measures by the government to limit the spread of the deadly Covid-19 disease.
However, Kenyans have continuously used all manner of tricks to sneak out of these counties to their rural counties putting at risk their family members against the possibility of contracting the virus that has claimed the lives of 170,439 and infected 2,425,000 in 177 countries across the globe as at today (April 21, 2020).
Addressing the press at the Garissa Tana bridge screening centre last evening, Garissa county CEC for Health Ahmednadir Omar said that security officers acting on a tipoff arrested four persons travelling in a salon car as they tried to enter Garissa town at around midnight on Sunday. They were immediately put under forced quarantine.
Yesterday evening, a Bus christened Emirates was also impounded at the bridge with 27 passengers on board who were picked from Mwingi after being dropped off by saloon cars from Nairobi.
“I want to appeal to the people of Garissa that whatever measures the government is putting in place is in their own interest and that of the health of the people,” Omar said.
“We are not doing anything outside the law. People should not try to beat the law. The hand of the government is long and sees very far. No tricks that the people will come up with will outplay us,” he added.
The CEC said that any person suspected to have travelled from Nairobi, Kilifi, Kwale or Mombasa counties that the President declared that nobody should come out of or enter will be put under forced quarantine at their own cost.
“They can use whatever measures. They may be conned by mischievous, criminal and malicious business people. They will be charged after the quarantine for trying to expose other people to the deadly virus,” he said.
Garissa County Commissioner Meru Mwangi said that the license of the Bus company will be suspended.
Mwangi said that other more punitive measures will be meted out on any bus company owners or individuals found defying government guidelines put in place to curb the spread of the virus.
By Jacob Songok
