Two lorries transporting 22 cows to Nairobi market from Trans Mara West Sub County without valid permits were seized in Narok town on Tuesday.
The Narok County Commissioner (CC), Samuel Kimiti said the cows traders operated in the black market as all the livestock markets in the county had been closed a month ago to avert the possibility of Covid-19 spread in the county.
“We also noticed that the traders did not follow the laid down regulations to prevent coronavirus. They did not wash their hands, keep social distances or use sanitizers as advised by the ministry of Health,” added Kimiti.
He said the six persons who were in the two seized lorries will be released on a police bond but later arraigned in court when they resume.
Kimiti sounded a warning to those engaging in the black market that they risk being forcefully quarantined for 14 days at their cost for floating the regulations put to combat Covid-19.
“We thank wananchi for being vigilant and reporting all suspected persons to the authority a situation that has led us preventing a possibility of Covid-19 outbreak in this county,” said Kimiti.
He sounded a warning to Chiefs and their assistants who allow the
to move from home to home buying livestock, saying they risk losing their jobs as they do not support government initiative to curb the deadly virus in the grassroots.
“The chiefs in the respective jurisdictions where the livestock was bought from should explain to me where they were when the cows were being bought and why they failed to report the illegal trade,” said the CC.
Kimiti reminded Narok residents that only people with a doctor’s appointment or have lost their close relatives will be allowed to travel to Nairobi.
“I have had dozens of persons coming to my office to request I give them a permit letter to go to Nairobi to see their loved ones, but I am sorry because the President extended the lock down in the capital city following the increasing cases on coronavirus in the country,” said Kimiti.
At the same time, the CC said security at the Tanzania border, at Olposimoru and Loita points had been beefed up to avert cross border movements during this season when the country is fighting Covid -19.
“We have added three vehicles and deployed a multi-agency security team to the porous border to ensure no one cross in or out of the country,” said Kimiti.
By Ann Salaton
