Govt to house Kayayei during lockdown - Gender Minister

Mrs. Cynthia Morrison, Ghana's Gender Minister has announced that the government during the two weeks lockdown period will provide shelter for some head potters, often referred to as 'kayayei' in Accra and Kumasi.

Speaking at a press briefing at the Ministry of Information, today April 1, 2020, the minister said about 1500 kayayei who sleep on the streets will be accommodated, provided food and water during the lockdown period.

"Some of them have rented apartments and we have those who also live on the streets. We have visited some facilities where we think can accommodate our brothers and sisters on the streets and those without places of abode during the lockdown.

We currently have 1500 kayayei to cater for. For those who have their apartment, we will find ways of sending logistics to them, to keep them away from coming to town. And for those that we are going to keep, there's going to be enough food, water... We have corporate bodies cooking for like 6000..." she told the media, monitored by GhanaWeb.

Meanwhile, over 30 women and children in two trucks en route the Northern Region were impounded at the checkpoint of a COVID- 19 joint security at Duampompo in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality in the Ashanti Region.

The driver had covered the trucks with tarpaulins to try and outsmart the security personnel stationed at the various checkpoints.

Passengers on board the vehicles were mostly head porters who were travelling to the North East Region with their children.

According to these women, when they heard of the lockdown, they decided to go to their hometowns because they have nowhere to sleep in the city.