Joho Installs CCTV Monitor on Phone to Personally Enforce Social Distancing

Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho addressing the nation from State House Nairobi on April 25, 2020.
Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho addressing the nation from State House Nairobi on April 25, 2020.
PSCU

Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho has stepped up surveillance in the county as to ensure safety measures on Covid-19 are adhered to.

Speaking to Pwani FM on Friday, May 1, the governor stated that his administration was determined to ensure members of the public adhere to the directives issued by the national government through the Ministry of Health, one of them, social distancing.

"I am vigilant regarding movement at the Likoni Ferry. People are maintaining social distance and have face masks. But more than that, I have synchronised CCTV cameras to my phone to monitor how people are moving," Joho stated.

Suleiman Shabhal and Hassan Joho inspecting the newly installed public spray booth at the Likoni Crossing Channel in Mombasa.
Suleiman Shabhal and Hassan Joho inspecting the newly installed public spray booth at the Likoni Crossing Channel in Mombasa. April 6, 2020
Facebook

The governor further stated that the Likoni Channel was a high-risk area, admitting that he has had sleepless nights with regards to movement there.

Mombasa County is among the leading counties in the country as far as Covid-19 infections in the country are concerned. Health CAS Rashid Aman on Thursday, April 30 announced that the county had recorded 7 more cases.

"The cases in Mombasa are spread between Old town (4), Bondeni (1), Bomani (1) and Kitunguni (1)," CAS Aman announced.

Joho revealed that his administration was determined to carry out mass testing to ascertain the spread of the virus within the county. He urged members of the public to go for testing, adding that he had been tested twice for the virus.

"We are still carrying out target testing in Old Town, and if people don't present themselves, we will go to their homes," he pronounced.

Joho revealed that with the equipment now available in the county, his administration was now able to test 5,000 people on a daily basis, further informing that the county was still tracing contacts of the infected persons.

He advised residents of the county that presenting themselves for testing was in no way, subverting the beliefs, especially that it's during Ramadan.

The two-term governor urged Kenyans to change their lifestyles to help fight the pandemic. He argued that if members of the public adhered to the given directives then the pandemic would cease.

"I will try to push for a lockdown if people don't listen. I can still see people not taking seriously the set directives," Joho stated. However, he asserted that those who observed the law would be allowed to go to work.

Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho (right) during the launch of a food drive in Mombasa County in April 2020
Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho (right) during the launch of a food drive in Mombasa County in April 2020
File

While issuing the daily Covid-19 presser at Afya House on April 29, Government Spokesperson Cyrus Oguna revealed that restaurants in the country would be allowed to reopen on a phased approach as long as they met the given requirements.

Joho, however, stated that Mombasa county was not ready to reopen eateries, and thus would remain closed.

He attributed the exemption to the culture of Mombasa residents to shared food platters among many customers, unlike in other parts of the country where everyone is given an individual serving. 

He further assured members of the public that his office was determined to ensure food is provided for the less fortunate, so as to get them through the pandemic.

He has during the course of the pandemic been touted as one of the best performing governors, a thing he has clarified, stating that he is doing everything in service of the country and nothing else.

"I am doing this to help Kenyans, not for any political reason. This is my last term," he pronounced.

{"preview_thumbnail":"/files/styles/video_embed_wysiwyg_preview/public/video_thumbnails/EHLCOVeRdb4.jpg?itok=3jxuGn0d","video_url":"","settings":{"responsive":1,"width":"854","height":"480","autoplay":0},"settings_summary":["Embedded Video (Responsive)."]}

 

  • .