This archive report was first published on 15 May 2020.
On May 15, 2020, Kenyan authorities locked down the Nairobi neighborhood of Eastleigh in response to a significant increase in confirmed coronavirus infections.
As a result of the restriction of movement in and out of the area, aimed at slowing the spread of the virus, businesses in Eastleigh are facing significant challenges.
Food seller Mohamed Said reported that business was poor, with few people willing or able to shop at his store.
"People are not coming to buy foodstuffs the way they used to before," he said. "There is less movement of people around 4 in the evening. That’s when you see a few people around. When I come to the shop early in the morning, you regret coming to the shop that early because there are no people.”
His neighbor, Hussein Osman, also a food seller, expressed concerns that he might soon go out of business due to the lockdown.
“Since the lockdown began, our business has gone down, and the lockdown has brought us a lot of losses," he said. "We cannot afford to pay rent, and we are requesting the government to help whenever it can.”
Kenyan authorities closed off the area until May 20 after 29 new cases of the coronavirus were found there in a single day.
Interior Minister Fred Matiangi met with the leadership of Eastleigh and the Muslim community, stating that the lockdown was meant to protect the community and rejecting claims that residents were singled out due to their ethnicity.
“We are facing this challenge together," the minister said. "We will succeed together if we continue to stand together. It's unfortunate that perception can exist, but I came to confirm to you — and believe you me, for sure, this is the position of the government — there is no effort to target anyone on account of their creed, on account of their ethnic community.”
