Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta has ordered the closure of the country’s land borders with Tanzania and Somalia except for cargo transport.

The order came into effect at midnight local time on Saturday.

Testing for the coronavirus at border posts will be compulsory for all drivers.

President Kenyatta said 78 truck drivers had tested positive in the last week and had been denied permission to enter.

In recent weeks there have been lengthy queues at the border between Uganda and Kenya where mandatory testing has already begun.

With the knowledge and experience gained from dealing with HIV and Aids, countries in the region have been quick to identify lorry drivers as a high-risk group.

President Kenyatta also prolonged a nationwide overnight curfew and extended a ban on all movement in and out of several towns and cities including the capital, Nairobi.