Letter on 21-Day Nationwide Lockdown is Fake, Kenya Government Says

The Ministry of Interior has dismissed as fake a letter suggesting that the government is preparing to impose a 21-day nationwide lockdown to combat the spread of coronavirus.

The ministry, through Twitter on Monday, disowned the letter that has since gone viral on social media after it was shared by blogger Dennis Itumbi. 

“Our attention has been drawn to a letter circulating on social media purportedly from our Ministry. Members of the public are advised to regard this as utterly false,” the ministry tweeted.

The letter was claimed to have been authored by Paul Famba, the Principal Secretary in charge of Citizen Services at the Interior Ministry. It was addressed to the National Covid-19 Emergency Response.

“The National Development Implementation and Communication Cabinet Committee (NDICC) in its meeting of 24th, 2020 directed the State Department for Devolution to develop plans for food distribution for possible 21 days lockdown,” the fake letter reads.

It adds: “The purpose of this letter is to ask you to identify food stores in all Sub locations in your region in readiness for the proposed food distribution.”