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Kamukunji, Mvita MPs ask govt to reopen Eastleigh and Old Town


Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan and his Mvita counterpart Abdulswammad Shariff Nassir have asked the government to consider lifting the temporary lockdown imposed on Eastleigh and Old Town in Nairobi and Mombasa respectively.

Mr Hassan says that the highest number of residents in Eastleigh are either unemployed or engage in low wage informal employment.

He opines that the extension of the cessation of movement into and out of Eastleigh by another two weeks is leaving the residents in a worse situation economically.

“Eastleigh has a population of 260,000 the overwhelming majority of its residents are either unemployed or engage in low wedge informal employment and are struggling to make ends meet,” Mr Hassan said.

Abdulswammad, on the other hand, says that he does not see how the extension of the lockdown is going to change the situation.

Should formulate goals

He says the government should formulate goals they would like to achieve from the lockdown in Old Town.

“It has not worked I do not see how it is going to work. Kwa sababu walifunga zile wiki mbili za kwanza. Lile la kufanya wangalikuwa wakisema kwamba baada ya kufunga hizi wiki mbili tulikuwa tunadhania tutaweza kufika kiwango flani au lengo letu litakuwa ni jambo Fulani. Lakini hivi ilivyo wameongeza wiki mbili nyingine,” he said.

The government extended the lockdown in Eastleigh and Old Town until June 6.

Health CS Mutahi Kagwe said Eastleigh and Old Town were still areas of concern as new numbers of Covid-19 patients continue to be recorded in the estates.

Mall, restaurants, eateries were also ordered closed and hawking prohibited.