@itsetyang
It's 6pm, an hour to curfew, and residents of Lodwar town are running up and down to shop and others rushing home to avoid the curfew police.
They gather closely in small groups outside the shops and on verandas discussing the coronavirus global pandemic the world is struggling with.
Many residents still think they are immune, that the virus cannot survive in hot temperatures.
They're wrong but they cling to the myth.
In a heated conversation about the virus, they argue over whether the virus can survive hot temperatures.
Turkana county is hot. It's a semi-desert region with high temperatures averaging lows of 28 degrees Celsius to highs of 38 degrees.
“We are lucky because coronavirus cannot survive in our semi-arid region because of high temperatures," Peter Ekuwom tells a group of young men.
"For many years we have been haunted by plagues of hunger, drought, floods and insecurity. There is no way God can allow the coronavirus to attack the vulnerable people of Turkana."
Bravin Egelan responds that countries with similar temperature like Turkana such South Sudan have also reported cases of coronavirus and the virus can survive in warm to hot temperatures.
The conversation doesn’t last long as a police siren disperses them before the 7pm to 5am curfew aimed at preventing the spread of the virus.
Turkana is vast and health workers have not covered remote areas with messages about the virus and the importance of frequent hand washing, using sanitiser, keeping social distance, avoiding crowds and staying home as much as possible.
A spot check by the Star revealed that many Turkana people believe the coronavirus cannot survive there because of the heat.
Governor Josphat Nanok has warned residents not to be complacent because the virus can strike anyone, anywhere at any time.
Nanok has urged them to take care of themselves by observing safety measure, including covering their mouths when coughing.
"I’m surprised to learn that learned people are the ones spreading rumours that the coronavirus cannot survive in hot temperatures, as in Turkana. Here we have flu, pneumonia and other ailments that are caused by other kinds of coronavirus."
Nanok urged residents to fight the invisible enemy.
"Residents should be cautious about the virus overwhelming global superpowers such as the US. Kenyans need to take heed," he said.
Turkana county commissioner Boniface Muthama said no foreigners from Uganda, South Sudan or Ethiopia will be allowed to enter Kenya until the situation improves. Like Kenya, those countries have cases of coronavirus.
He also said foreigners from the DRC who buy fish at Lake Turkana will be banned until the situation normalises.
Muthama told residents they will be screened along highways both coming and going and at all airports.
(Edited by V. Graham)
