By Okong’o Oduya
Busia County, Kenya: Plans are underway to enable Kenya Medical Research Institute( KEMRI ) in Alupe in Busia County to start testing corona related cases.
Chief Administrative Secretary in the Ministry of Interior and Government Coordination, Ambassador Hussein Dado said the government is planning to give the go-ahead KEMRI facility in Alupe to start testing truck drivers and their assistants coming in Kenya from other countries using Busia and Malaba borders.
Addressing the press in Busia after assessing covid-19 situation in Busia. B
The SC said Uganda is conducting the full tests on truck drivers and their assistants coming from Kenya before allowing them to proceed.
He said as a government they will not allow truck drivers from Uganda to cross to Kenya without being tested.
“Ugandans are doing full testing on drivers and their staff in the vehicle. On our part also, plans are underway to revamp KEMRI at Alupe and if possible start testing truck drivers who are coming to Kenya from Uganda and beyond as a way of controlling coronavirus,” he said.
Dado who was in the company of CS health Dr. Rashid Aman and Chris Obure, CS transport and their host Busia governor Sospeter Ojaamong said they are going round to all border points in the country to assess the level of preparedness the border points have in combating coronavirus.
Besides preparedness Dado said they are also determining the level of adherence to guidelines and regulations put in place by the government in handling covid-19 by the county governments and the communities around the border points.
He said the border points are at risk in the country and that is why they are going round to identify gaps and challenges that need to be addressed by both national and county governments in keeping coronavirus at bay.
He raised fear on the heavy traffic snarl-up along Busia and Malaba border adding that the long queues of truck along the border towns increase possibilities of contracting the virus to the locals who mingle with drivers on transit.
“We were also very worried when we came in. The vehicles towards Malaba border were 30 kilometers from the border, this is dangerous to those mingling with truck drivers.CAS transport is here and I know he will look into the areas of the double lens along Bungoma –Malaba road and some other areas that were left hanging to ease traffic congestion in these border towns,” he said.
He applauded the medical workers at all border points in Kenya for the good work they are doing.
He further advised the county government of Busia to continue working closely with the national government in addressing the corona related cases in the county.
Busia county Governor Sospeter Ojaamong said Busia having two border points is at risk of corona transmission calling upon the national government to pump in more resources in combating the virus from reaching Busia.
