Kenyan MP arrested for defying lockdown order

A member of parliament was among the dozens of people arrested for defying the stay-at-home order in Kenya over the Easter weekend.

Several police officers and a magistrate were also detained after they found drinking at a handful of bars late at night.

The police carried out raids at a number of establishments over the weekend, which remained open despite the government order to practise social distancing designed to prevent gatherings.

Authorities say they were warned by concerned members of the public, who called in after seeing bustling restaurants and bars serving customers late into the evening.

Nine people have now died from the coronavirus in Kenya, a disease that has infected over 200 people across the country.

The health minister spoke of the government’s efforts to ramp up testing capacity, saying they can now test up to 1,000 people a day.

However, the minister cautioned that fact that there were no immediate plans to ease any of the restrictions in place to curb the spread of the virus, such as the dusk to dawn curfew, travel restrictions in and out of the four worst affected counties, and limits on public gatherings.

The government has also made clear that any victims of the coronavirus will be buried within 24 hours under the supervision of health officials.

That was prompted by public outcry over the news that someone was hurriedly buried over the Easter weekend without any family present.

Photo: AFP