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An aggressive Saoyo faults Uhuru’s order

Keekonyokie Ward representative says it has never been agreed upon that any part of Kajiado County falls under the Nairobi Metropolitan Area

By Faith Nashipae

Youthful Keekonyokie Ward representative Moses Saoyo has sensationally faulted President Uhuru Kenyatta’s designation of Kitengela, Kiserian, Ongata Rongai and Ngong town as part of the Nairobi Metropolitan Area.

In his recent address to the nation, President Kenyatta announced a raft of measures he aims to combat the spread of Covid-19 in the country, which included a cessation of movement in and out of the metropolitan area for 21 days.

Following the announcement, police officers erected a roadblock at Isinya bridge and another along the Magadi road at Delta Petrol station, which is a few kilometers to Kiserian town.

Effectively, the move barred a majority of residents in the vast Kajiado West Constituency from accessing Kiserian town, or the neighbouring Ngong and Ongata Rongai towns, while those in Isinya could not go to Kitengela, and vice versa, apart from on isolated cases — for instance, transportation of essential goods and services.

This caused revolt among a section of the area residents, who decried being cut-off from accessing essential services like; banks, markets and hospitals, concerns that were corroborated by the area MP George Sunkuyia, who then pleaded with the president to consider the plight of the people.

Days later, a perceivably aggressive Saoyo chimed in through a post on his Facebook page, noting that, “No single time did we agree as Kajiado County to be co-joined (sic) and be part of Nairobi metropolitan”.

He then argued that the erection of the two roadblocks is needless and that it only amounts to a violation of the peoples’ right to free movement within their territory.

“Kajiado is a County on its own and residents deserve to move freely within its boundaries for access of goods and services, as long as they wear masks, and wash and sanitise their hands,” said the lawmaker.

He also sensationally argued that, the one confirmed case of coronavirus in the county, “has been contained and the patient had fully recovered and was discharged from hospital”.

His assertion could easily be interpreted to mean that the county is free from infection given that the only confirmed case has been “contained and the patient is fully recovered”.

Moreover, he urged the office of the Deputy Governor, as it is in charge of County Emergency Fund (CEF), to move with speed and rescue residents who are in the brink of starvation, following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic that has had unprecedented economic effects on people’s livelihoods.

Recently, the County Assembly approved an increase of the emergency fund from the initial Ksh100 million to Ksh40 million.

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