No more ferrying of dead bodies out of Nairobi for burial
Bereaved families in Nairobi will now only be allowed the bury the bodies of their loved ones in the capital, the government has said.
Speaking to Citizen TV, Government Spokesperson Major (Rtd) Cyrus Oguna ruled out the possibility of bereaved persons travelling out of the four counties of Nairobi, Kilifi, Kwale and Mombasa – where a cessation of movement has been banned for the next 21 days – to bury their loved ones.
“For anyone who might have a body to bury out of Nairobi, what that means is that that body will have to be buried here (within the counties) We cannot risk the lives of those people who are outside Nairobi. For those who will be unable to bury their loved ones in Nairobi, the government will chip in where necessary,” Oguna said.
Oguna further clarified that anyone who had gone outside Nairobi or came in will have to find alternative arrangements for the next 21 days as they will not be allowed in and out of Nairobi.
“Anybody who has gone out of Nairobi town and is out there, then that person will have to find an alternative,” Oguna said.
When asked about the fate of a mother who left a child under the care of a relative in Nairobi and went beyond the restricted area, Oguna said they would have to wait for the 21 days to come back to the child.
“There is no mother really or a parent that would leave a child without the care of anyone, and indeed we must also be careful here. A mother who has gone out of town and left the child here in Nairobi, the possibility of them bringing back the infection to the child is very high,” Oguna said.
“Therefore, anyone who has gone out of Nairobi town and is out there outside the time frame that has been given by the government then it means that that person will have to find alternative arrangements.”
However, while speaking on Inooro radio on Tuesday, President Uhuru Kenyatta said those who have genuine reasons like business people, those seeking medical treatment will be allowed in and out of the restricted counties.
Providers of essential service as listed by the government when dusk to dawn curfew was implemented will also be allowed to move in and out of the counties.
According to President Kenyatta, the ban on movement in and out of the four counties is aimed at combating the spread of coronavirus to other parts of the country since 82% of Kenya’s reported cases have been recorded in Nairobi.
An additional 14% of the country’s cases have been recorded on the coastal counties of Kilifi, Kwale, and Mombasa.