We want a total lockdown, we would rather fight hunger — Governor Lee Kinyanjui

Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui has asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to declare a total lockdown.

Speaking on Friday, the governor said the partial curfew might not work since local transmissions are on the rise.

He lamented a case in Nakuru where a patient is believed to have travelled from Mombasa using public means.

“Nakuru County has two confirmed #COVID-19 cases. The two patients, a lady aged 28 and a 39-year old man are in stable condition.

“We ask the President, H.E Uhuru Kenyatta to enforce a total lockdown instead of the partial curfew,” he said.

Adding: “If a lockdown had been effected, we would not have the case in Nakuru since the patient travelled from Mombasa to Nakuru using public means.”

Kinyanjui also said his county has a plan to provide relief food to those in slums.

“As a County, we are planning to provide relief food to the vulnerable especially those in slums and we hope that the County Assembly will pass Kshs.250 million we have requested for through a supplementary budget.

“We have limited testing capacity and the number of ICU beds simply means if we get more patients they will not survive,” he said.

The Ministry of Health on Friday announced that 12 more people had tested positive for Coronavirus in Kenya bringing the total number to 122.

A six-year-old kid also succumbed to the virus at KNH but Health CAS Dr Mercy Mwangangi said the boy had other pre-existing conditions.

Acting Health Director-General Dr Patrick Amoth said the necessary measures to disinfect the premise had been taken and all those who are believed to have been in contact with the boy have been asked to self-quarantine.