The government has put the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (Lapsset) Corridor project under total lockdown in a move aimed at fighting the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.
The lockdown takes effect immediately.
The announcement was made Monday by Lamu County Commissioner Irungu Macharia shortly after a county level engagement meeting on Covid-19 preparedness held at the county headquarters in Mokowe.
The meeting brought together the county security team, the county government of Lamu led by Governor Fahim Twaha, health officials, the Kenya Ports Authority and Lapsset representatives.
All the Lapsset workers staying outside the camp have been asked to report to the port site which is situated in Kililana, Lamu West before the lockdown deadline at 5pm Tuesday.
Kililana’s Lapsset construction camp has more than 1,000 casual labourers, most of whom are used to reporting for work at the port in the morning and go back home during the evening.
The workers are drawn from various parts of the county, mostly Hindi, Magogoni, Lamu town, Mpeketoni and Witu while others come from other counties including Tana River, Kilifi, Mombasa and Kwale.
PREVENT INFECTIONS
Last week, the government had announced that it would not quarantine the casual labourers at the Lapsset construction camp and instead directed them to be reporting for work at the port during the day and going back home in the evening so as to avoid congestion at the site.
But while addressing journalists after the Monday meeting, the Lamu County commissioner said they had opted for the lockdown to prevent the possibility of people contracting the disease and infecting others at the camp.
The lockdown will not, however, affect the general construction works at the port which will progress as per the schedule.
