This archive report was first published on 8 May 2020.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread in Kenya, the Council of Governors (CoG) is urging the government to close the country's borders to contain the outbreak.
The CoG has raised concerns about the migration of people from Tanzania, Uganda, and Somalia, which it says is contributing to the spread of the virus.
CoG Chairman Wycliffe Oparanya noted that in the last week, nine counties that border other countries had quarantined 205 people and tested 249 for the disease.
However, Governor Oparanya acknowledged that the border issue falls under government functions, and governors cannot compel leaders in other countries to take action.
He urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to come up with a protocol for dealing with neighboring countries, which would only allow limited access to contain the disease.
"It is the responsibility of the national government because there are protocols on how to deal with foreign countries. We hope we can scale up the issue with the National Coordinating Committee," he said in Machakos County on Wednesday.
Other governors, including Kajiado's Joseph ole Lenku and Isiolo's Mohammed Kuti, also expressed concerns about the spread of the virus and called for further measures to contain it.
