Kenya Dismisses Reports of Nairobi Lockdown for Obama’s Visit

The government has dismissed reports of a planned lockdown in Nairobi during US President Barack Obama’s visit.

The notice, amid preparations for the visit later this month, are by pranksters, said Interior ministry spokesman Mwenda Njoka.

In a tweet on Thursday, he asked the public to ignore the fake reports circulating on social media.

In a document dated June 30, and allegedly signed by the traffic department, Kenyans were advised to avoid several routes from 8am on July 24 to 2pm July 27 .

The notice claimed that Uhuru Highway, Haile Selassie and Harambee avenues, and Tumbo, Mombasa and Lang’ata roads would be inaccessible.

It said the roads would be closed to all vehiclesincluding police and emergency vehicles except those of category 1A.

The document also warned that Jomo Kenyatta, Moi, Kisumu and Eldoret international airports, and Wilson Airport would be closed.

“All flights to and from the Kenyan airspace will be banned for 72 hours before and 12 hours after the departure of the American President,” it read.

Several security and city beautification measures have been taken ahead of the Obama’s visit for the July 24 to 26 Global Entrepreneurship Summit.

A US military cargo plane carrying sophisticated communications and security equipment touched down in Nairobi on June 4.

It was one of six that will ferry in a range of secure advanced communications equipment, some to be used by Obama when he lands as expected on July 25.

The C-17 Starlifter planes will also bring in specialiased vehicles, such as the world famous The Beast, the presidential limo, expected in the country the night before his arrival.

More than 500 members of the National Youth Service were hired to unclog drainage, clear bushes and cut grass on major roads.

They are working on Mombasa Road, Lang’ata Road, Uhuru Highway and Waiyaki Way for Sh400 a day.

– The Star