This archive report was first published on 7 May 2020.
On May 7, 2020, Eastleigh, a suburb in Nairobi, was effectively cut off from the rest of the city after the government imposed a 15-day lockdown to combat the spread of COVID-19.
The lockdown, which began on May 6, 2020, was enforced by police who set up roadblocks along key roads, including General Waruinge Road at the Pumwani Maternity roundabout, Eastleigh North, South, and Moi Airbase.
According to the government, the lockdown was necessary due to a surge in COVID-19 cases in Eastleigh and Old Town, Mombasa. The area has been marked as a hotspot for COVID-19 infections, with 63 confirmed cases as of May 6, 2020.
Residents expressed frustration and concern over the lockdown, with some questioning why the government was punishing everyone for the sins of a few. One resident stated, 'I am not a Muslim, I do not go to a Mosque, our churches were closed and followed what the government said, now we are here for the next 15 days. How will we survive?'
Some residents had already begun to leave the area on May 6, 2020, in anticipation of the lockdown. Others believed that there was more to the containment directive than the coronavirus.
