This archive report was first published on 22 June 2020.
June 22, 2020, marked a significant milestone in Kenya's fight against COVID-19 as the virus penetrated the country's military defense.
According to reports, 80 soldiers have tested positive for the fast-spreading virus, prompting authorities to place all military barracks across the country under restrictions of movement.
The outbreak began with three military officers at the Embakasi barracks testing positive for COVID-19.
High-ranking military men in the Kenya Defence Forces were reportedly sent into a panic upon confirmation of the cases.
As a containment measure, a good number of officers were moved to Kahawa barracks along the Thika superhighway.
Doors to one of Kenya's most secure areas were shut, with no entry or exit allowed except for special cases.
Soldiers on leave were shut out and ordered to remain at home, while those residing outside the barracks were ordered to move back into the barracks.
However, sources claim the virus had already taken position inside the Embakasi barracks.
Initially, an isolation centre was set up at Embakasi barracks for those who tested positive, but as numbers grew, it was moved to Kabete barracks, which became the treatment centre for all KDF staff.
Citizen TV has established that soldiers in isolation have hit 80, with one officer reportedly dying and being buried at his home in Olenguruone, Nakuru county.
Another barracks under strict surveillance with limited access is Kahawa Garrison, a big military facility surrounded by a huge population of civilians.
According to sources, the barracks was placed on partial lockdown as a precautionary measure when Kenya started registering huge numbers of COVID-19 patients.
The fear is that many soldiers spent a good chunk of their time outside camp mingling with civilians.
Some have homes in neighbouring estates, interacting freely with people in the estates and markets.
The Kenya Defence Forces has put in place protocols to curtail the spread of the highly contagious virus among officers in the barracks.
Military parades have been scrapped, trainings have been put on hold, officers have been barred from leaving the facility, and are only being allowed to purchase food and other essentials from the military canteens.
Other containment measures include provision of sanitization points, conducting mass testing, establishing quarantine areas, conducting routine temperature checks, distribution of face masks, and sensitizing soldiers and the KDF family on the do's and don'ts during this pandemic.
