Of the 41 new Covid-19 cases reported by Health CS Mutahi Kagwe in Kenya's capital Nairobi, one of the largest urban slums in Africa- Kibra, accounted for 13 cases.
Despite a surge in new cases in the populous estate, it is business as usual as residents refrain from following directives that have been put in place by the government to combat the spread of the disease.
Kibra is overcrowded and with poor infrastructure and sanitation, most of the residents find themselves unable to wash their hands or practice social distancing.
Citizen TV reporters on Thursday, May 21, used hidden cameras to try and establish what was fueling rapid spread of the disease.
The cameras captured residents in the area in Busaa dens oblivious to the spread of Covid-19 in the country.
In a famous den in Serang'ombe area in Kibra, the cameras captured a crowded area with the revelers holding tins full of chang'aa.
A majority of them were not protecting themselves using facemasks and further, did not exercise the 1-meter rule set by the government to exercise social distancing.
Some of the residents in the area stated that police officers were receiving bribes from the chang'aa den owners, which is why they had remained open, defying orders that bars remain shut.
"If you are a police officer, you are mandated to do your work. The officers come along these corridors to collect money and that's how the dens operate," a resident expressed.
A healthcare worker in the area explained that the main challenge in the area was social distancing and residents not wearing masks.
Speaking during the daily press briefing at Afya House on Thursday, May 21, the Health CS complained of a driver in Kibra who had used sneaky means to fool police manning roadblocks to ferry a group of Covid-19 positive mourners to Siaya.
After tests were carried out on the mourners, seven were confirmed to be positive of the Covid-19 virus risking further spread of the disease in Siaya.
"There are also seven cases now in Siaya and their story is a sad one because the departure point of that case is actually in Kibra. Somebody in Kibra, without the authority to authorise anybody to travel, signed a document that allowed and respected by Police all the way from Kibra taking mourners for a funeral," he stated.
Watch video courtesy of Citizen TV;
