Update 2.00 PM: The Police have freed all members of the Sonko Rescue Team arrested on the evening of Monday, April 6.
The 21 arrested while fumigating the city have been freed unconditionally.
Members of the Sonko Rescue Team were arrested by police officers on Monday, April 7.
Watch the video below:
{"preview_thumbnail":"/files/styles/video_embed_wysiwyg_preview/public/video_thumbnails/JY1QRW1FwII.jpg?itok=3FDx3InZ","video_url":"","settings":{"responsive":1,"width":"854","height":"480","autoplay":0},"settings_summary":["Embedded Video (Responsive)."]}
As first reported by K24 on Tuesday, April 7, 21 members of the team fell into police hands during the enforcement of the dusk-to-dawn curfew.
The 21 team members were arrested as they headed home after wrapping up fumigation duties in the city.
According to Francis Mwangi, the team's head of operations, the members were taken to Muthaiga Police Station after their arrest.
The team, that was engaged in the fumigation exercise across the city, was not part of essential service providers exempt from the curfew.
In a statement published on Saturday, April 4, Governor Sonko had stated that fumigation equipment had arrived in the county and was being utilised by the county health department in disinfecting the city.
Sonko had called upon residents and traders to support the fumigation teams if they came across them.
"This is an important exercise by our health team and it is important that we all support the officers when they come the on the ground," stated the governor.
He further expressed his views that the ongoing curfew would allow the teams ample time to carry out the fumigation exercise while citizens were indoors.
The Nairobi fumigation exercise which kicked off on Thursday, March 19, started off at the General Post Office then moved on to Hilton Hotel, Kencom Bus Stage and Aga Khan Walk.
Starehe Sub-county Health Officer Charles Kibue stated that county health officials handling the exercise had been provided with chlorine for fumigation.
Aside from the SonkoRescue Team, the county brought in over 200 health officers to assist in fumigating the city and its environs.
