Economy

Lockdown of Eastleigh to hurt small businesses

eastleigh

A street is Nairobi's Eastleigh estate. FILE PHOTO | NMG

The government’s decision to restrict movement in and out of Nairobi’s Eastleigh is set to deny businesses access to an area that serves as a key commercial hub.

The blockade by the Ministry of Health is expected to further dent the operations of small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) already suffering from the broken supply chain owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the isolation of Nairobi.

Eastleigh is home to dozens of busy shopping malls, hotels and restaurants.

Goods sold in the shopping malls include imports from China and Dubai.

Yesterday the government also directed cessation of movement in and out of Mombasa’s Old Town for the next 15 days in the latest raft of stringent measures meant to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

The ministry also ordered closure of restaurants and markets within these areas.

Eastleigh and Old Town have emerged as the country’s coronavirus hotspots with most of the positive cases.

“In order to contain the spread of infection in these areas...there shall be cessation of movement in and out of Eastleigh...and Old Town Mombasa effective from today (yesterday) for the next 15 days,” said Cabinet Secretary for Health Mutahi Kagwe.

The announcement came as the ministry reported 47 new cases, the highest tally ever recorded in the country within 24 hours, bringing the total confirmed cases to 582.

From the new cases, 32 are from Mombasa, 11 in Nairobi while two are from Busia and one case from Kiambu and Kwale counties, respectively.

Eighteen cases from Mombasa were from Old Town while five cases in Nairobi were from Eastleigh. Eight more persons were discharged bringing total recoveries to 190 while an additional two persons died raising fatalities to 26.

Mr Kagwe also announced that the government will start covering the costs of persons taken under quarantine. Previously they were expected to foot their own bills, a factor that saw low turnouts during mass testing throughout the country.