The high court has suspended flights
from China from landing in Kenya as the Coronavirus continues to spread across
continents.
This comes after the Law Society of
Kenya (LSK) and two doctors sued the cabinet secretaries for health, interior,
and transport, the Attorney General and the Kenya Airports Authority. The LSK
suit wanted the China Southern Airlines Company prevented from transporting
passengers from coronavirus hotspots to Kenya.
In the second suit, Dr Joseph Mithika
and Dr Thiakanu Cyprian Mwirabua argued that unless the High court issues
conservatory orders, the state will continue to allow more flights from China
into the country hence putting lives of citizens a risk.
The verdict is a relief for many
Kenyans who have expressed their disbelief regarding a China Southern Airlines
plane that landed at JKIA with 239 Chinese on board. The Kenyan government
cleared the nationals and asked them to self-quarantine themselves, a move that
made Kenyans angry.
There has been a public outcry on
news media and social media platforms about the government not being serious
about the danger that the Coronavirus poses.
Speaking for the first time after the
Coronavirus outbreak that has claimed 2700 lives already and infected thousands
worldwide, President Uhuru Kenyatta has formed a task force to deal with the
Coronavirus in case it occurs in Kenya. He ordered that isolation facility be
set up at Mbagathi Hospital in a period of one week.
Meanwhile, China Southern Airlines has
suspended flights from Guangzhou to Nairobi Kenya, reports the Chinese Embassy
in Kenya.
China Embassy in Kenya posted the
message on its social media page on Friday, moments after the public outcry
over coronavirus outbreak.
“On February 28 2020, due to the
decreasing volume of passengers’ flow, China Southern Airlines has made
necessary adjustments by suspending flights connecting Guangzhou, Changsha and
Nairobi until further notice,” read part of the message.
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