This archive report was first published on 7 May 2020.
On May 7, 2020, the Kenyan government took drastic measures to contain the spread of Covid-19 by locking down Eastleigh in Nairobi and Old Town in Mombasa. The lockdown, which will last for 15 days, was announced after a spike in Covid-19 cases in the two areas.
According to the government, Eastleigh has become the area with the most infections in Kenya, with 68 cases reported, while Old Town in Mombasa had 57 cases. The total number of cases in Kenya reached 582, with 32 cases reported in Mombasa, 11 in Nairobi, two in Busia, and one each in Kwale and Kiambu.
Interior CS Fred Matiang'i signed an order that placed the whole of Eastleigh, including Section 3, under lockdown. The area is defined as stretching from General Waruinge Road (Pumwani Maternity Roundabout) to First, Second, and Third avenues, and 17th, 18th, and 19th streets.
Health CS Mutahi Kagwe said the lockdown of Old Town and Eastleigh was necessary considering the surge in numbers. He warned that the government will take over quarantine charges, but individuals flying home from India, China, and the United Kingdom will be quarantined for 14 days at their own costs.
Dr. Patrick Amoth, the Acting Director General of Health, raised an alarm over the emerging trend in Mombasa where Covid-19 patients are reporting at the Accident and Emergency and dying in the process of being attended to.
The lockdown of Eastleigh will put in jeopardy hundreds of jobs and shut a crucial feeder industry for household and clothing items. Eastleigh acts as the key supply route for retailers in other parts of the city and certain towns as well.
