This archive report was first published on 12 May 2020.
On May 6, 2020, the Kenyan government imposed a 15-day cessation of movement in Eastleigh, a move that has left residents struggling to make ends meet.
Protesting residents took to the streets, calling on the government to provide them with relief food and expressing concerns about their livelihoods being disrupted.
According to Ahmed Noor, General Secretary of the Eastleigh Business Community, shop owners are counting losses due to the lockdown, but it is the employees who are feeling the pinch most.
"As business owners, we can weather the lockdown but what will happen to those who earn a living in Eastleigh such as house helps, car washers, trolley pushers, waiters, security guards and many more who depend on the Eastleigh economy to survive?" Mr Noor posed.
Area MCA Osman Adow echoed the concern, stating that many people who depend on Eastleigh for their livelihoods risk starvation during the lockdown.
"We are not fighting the lockdown but I think our officers stationed at the various border points should be instructed to allow vehicles ferrying foodstuff in and out of Eastleigh to pass because if they ground them then this will put area residents at risk of starvation," said Mr Adow.
