President Uhuru Kenyatta has announced that Kenya has closed its borders with both Somalia and Tanzania.
Kenya took this decision in the wake of the increased numbers of patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in the two countries.
Kenyatta said that the ban would not apply to vehicles transporting goods from the country’s two East African neighbors.
According to President Kenyatta’s announcement, the border closure takes effect from midnight on May 16, 2020.
Further, he clarified that the border closure is to remain in place for the next 30 days.
Kenyatta also announced that truck drivers would continue being tested at the border. Only those with negative results would be allowed to proceed with their journeys.
The closure comes at a time when Kenya confirmed 43 new COVID-19 cases imported from either Somalia or Tanzania.
He added that 14 of the cases were recorded at Wajir, a town just outside Kenya’s border with Somalia. Sixteen were at Namanga, which acts as Kenya’s border with Tanzania.
Two cases were in Lunga Lunga and one in Loitoktok, which form part of the country’s borders with Tanzania and Somalia respectively.
