Migori MPs demand border closure

Migori County medical officer collets samples from a truck driver at Isebania border for Covid-19 testing. [Caleb Kingwara, Standard]

Six Covid-19 suspects who escaped from a quarantine centre in Migori are still at large as local leaders demanded a total closure of the Kenya-Tanzania border at Isebania.

The MPs and MCAs whose constituencies and wards border Tanzania said laxity by the Kenyan government to heighten cross borer surveillance had exposed residents to Covid-19 and demanded closure of the border to stop further movement into the country.

MPs Tom Odege (Nayatike), Kitayama Maisori (Kuria East), Peter Masara (Suna West) and Dennitah Ghati (nominated) said Migori County needed special attention after it reported 10 Covid-19 cases in the past one week. 

The leaders said that revelations that five of the 10 cases had originated from Tanzania was reason enough to shut the border.

They also blamed the police over laxity to close all illegal border crossings used by those entering the country from Tanzania.

Ms. Ghati urged the Ministry of Health to conduct mass testing to ascertain the exact number of those infected.

Suna West MP Masara said that the Government should increase its surveillance along the border.

“The unrestricted movements across the border points has already exposed the county to vulnerability and the continued reluctance may worsen the situation,” said Masara

Robi lamented that truck drivers, businesses people and motorbike operators had been crossing the border with ease.

“We have severally raised complains as leaders that the measures placed to control movement at the main Isebania border and others have failed completely, the response by officials on those who cross the border have been a lax,” he said.