National Assembly minority leader John Mbadi wants the fishing community in Lake Victoria to take the fight against the coronavirus as a personal responsibility.
Speaking in his constituency on Saturday, he said fishing as an economic activity involves a lot of interaction between people, especially Kenyan fishermen and their colleagues in Tanzania and Uganda.
“Lake Victoria is so vast and nobody can monitor all corners to know all activities carried out in it,” Mbadi said.
"Fishermen should take the fight as a personal responsibility to stop getting the disease around the lake."
The legislator was donating face masks, sanitisers and foodstuff to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 crisis on his constituents through area DCC Kamau Maina in Magunga town.
Mbadi said fishermen are at higher risk of contracting the disease because they frequently cross borders in the lake during fishing expeditions.
Health experts say the virus can easily be transmitted when people intermingle with disregard to personal protection.
Mbadi told fisher folk in Kenyan counties that border Uganda and Tanzania to be extra vigilant not to contract the disease as they look for their livelihoods.
He asked the fishermen to comply with government guidelines to slow down the spread of the virus.
The government allowed fishing to continue in the lake but urged fishermen to adhere to rules of curbing transmission of the disease.
Kenyan fishermen, especially in Lake Victoria islands, have been interacting with Ugandan and Tanzanian counterparts during fishing activities.
On Saturday, two Covid-19 positives cases were registered in Kuria, Migori county.
The government attributed the cases to cross-border interaction.
Mbadi warned locals disobeying the government directives on the virus.
He said the disease does not have boundaries.
“Don’t say Covid-19 disease belongs to people with light skin,” Mbadi said.
"Neither should our people say the disease is only found in Nairobi and Mombasa. Let’s be careful because anybody can contract this virus."
The aid included 3,000 face masks, 100 cartons of sanitisers, 89 sacks of maize, 20 cartons of cooking oil, and 550 sacks of rice.
The MP said the donations would be first given to 840 most vulnerable families in the constituency.
Official distribution of the aid begins on Monday.
“Each registered fishermen in all the 36 beaches should get a face mask and access sanitisers for prevention against Covid-19,” he said.
Maina urged fishermen and residents at large to report to them any suspected cases of coronavirus.
He said they are doing security surveillance at both beaches in mainland and islands to prevent the disease.
The administrator wants cooperation to keep the disease at bay.
“The Nyumba Kumi system of monitoring movement of people is ongoing. Residents are advised not to intermingle with any stranger whose Covid-19 status they don't know,” Maina said.
