President Uhuru Kenyatta speaks from State House, Nairobi on April 6, 2020. He announced a new raft of measures aimed at combating the spread of Covid-19. PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

The four counties have been zoned out by the Ministry of Health as COVID-19 hotspots in the country with 82% of the cases so far reported coming from Nairobi.

The coastal counties account for 14% of the cases.

President Kenyatta also announced 16 more cases of COVID-19 taking the number of all cases in Kenya to 158. Six people have since succumbed to the disease.

Kenya now becomes the only country with the highest cases of COVID-19 in the eastern African region. All countries within the region still have their numbers below 100.

"To contain and limit the spread of the disease to other parts of the country, the National Security Council has sanctioned and caused the issuance of the following additional measures, as follows: That there shall be a cessation of all movement by road, rail or air in and out," President Kenyatta said.

The new measures take effect in Nairobi starting today (April 6) while the coastal counties will experience the lockdown from April 8. Dusk to dawn curfew countrywide remains.

Noting that the new measures would pose adverse economic and social effects, the President noted it was the right thing to do. "There is a choice that we are asked to make as a government or as a people.”