• Coronavirus debate continues to occupy public discourse.
Image: DOUGLAS OKIDDY
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken the world by surprise. The pandemic continues to plague the country and indeed the world and it has now been two weeks since the first case was reported in Kenya. As the magnitude of infections continues to be felt, all personnel have a personal and collective responsibility to contribute towards preventing increased manifestation of the pandemic. The reported cases must be identified and ascertained through prompt testing, isolated, managed and contained. The world is in a panic mode. The COVID-19 is now beyond China and Italy. It is a global phenomenon. The effects of the disease on health system, human life, economics and social life are monumental.
Coronavirus debate continues to occupy public discourse. Shops, cafes, bars and restaurants are closed. Schools and universities are shut down. Airports are deserted. Business districts are empty. Almost overnight, people changed the way they live completely. In Kenya it has stopped the seemingly unstoppable reggae lyric associated with BBI.
First the raft measures introduced by the state have limited movements of citizens. Self-isolation has encouraged solitude. How then can we as Kenyans exercise solidarity during this period of need? It is not the time to remain caged in the comforts of our homes. It is time to stand in solidarity with each other as one nation with shared destiny. This pandemic knows no race, religion, tribe, nor class. This time call for us to be more cohesive than ever before.
As Kenyans begin to feel the effect of economic meltdown and job loss, the crime curve is expected to rise especially in informal settlements. Cases of burglary and other forms of crimes will be rampant as people struggle to make ends meet. Stressful home environments will lead to increased domestic violence. Family violence advocates in China have already reported that family violence incidents have tripled since COVID-19 outbreak. I am of the view that, emergency numbers should be established to monitor cases of domestic violence.
We have already witnessed state-citizen conflict as police try to enforce government directives. There are Kenyans who will defy the self-isolation, quarantine, curfew, and lockdown arguing that it is not practical in their situation. Understandably, most Kenyans rely on a daily wage to make ends meet. For this group, they would rather die of COVID-19 than of hunger. The effects of the pandemic are more severe on the vulnerable groups in the society.
The closure of school means additional economic strain to some poor household since they cannot afford to feed their children. In many parts of Northern Kenya schools meals keep children in school and lessen burden on the parents.
In the face of the pandemic, it is important for Kenyans to stand together as one united and indivisible nation. Simple acts like sending messages of condolences to the affected families, prayer and support for the frontline workers will go a long way in increasing social cohesion. As at now our medics have no proper working equipment. They are not well protected and motivated. We know they have been demanding for pay rise for years. The moral is very low. But we do have heroes and heroines in their midst who will rise to the occasion and make us proud!
The parliament has remained on recess during this period. We ought to have seen efforts from them to cushion farmers and the poor. So far it is the corporates like banks that are being cushioned by COVID -19 induced financial challenges. The central bank has put aside 35 billion for them.
Management of fake news and rumours is crucial. In the midst of this pandemic, it is very easy to find ourselves confronted with 'fake news' and disinformation about the virus. Already misinformation about the coronavirus seems to have outpaced its spread. There are also concern with regards to the treatment of the virus. So far there are known scientifically proven cure nor vaccine but traditional herbalist have come out claiming efficacy of their products. For instance, in Isiolo, the local people have identified local products "Walda" and “Arken” as one of the herbs to treat COVID-19 but the government have strongly dismissed its efficacy advising anyone with symptoms convid-19 to promptly seek medical assistance.
There should also be a strategy to ensure transparency of information and managing public panic. For example, how could people react when there is outbreak in informal settlements?
Culture and religion will play a great role in both containment and spread of novel coronavirus. There is already stigma attached to the pandemic. There cases of a whole village or family migrating to distant land on hearing the rumours that someone from the neighbouring village is affected. Some will argue that their time of death has already been decided by God and therefore rubbish all the government directives to curb the pandemic.
The government has declared curfew from 7pm to 6am. Police deployed to enforce this directive have committed gross human right violation. Kenyans have been beaten and tortured for disobeying the orders. The most appalling thing is the manner in which the public were handled. They were gathered together in one place beating the logic of social distancing. In fact, the police have severely exposed themselves to danger by moving around in lorries where they are packed like potatoes.
In towns, local youths, mainly boda riders became hostile to the officers, forcing police to use teargas to repulse them. The bad blood between the youths and security personnel will not augur well for the prevention of novel coronavirus. The risk of rioting and utter breakdown of social order is not far-fetched. In Chad prisoners in their main holding facilities attempted to force their way to freedom following restrictions imposed on visits as part of measures to control spread of the coronavirus by the government. A prison riot in Colombia's capital Bogota left 23 prisoners dead and 83 injured, as detainees protested sanitary conditions amid the global outbreak of coronavirus. Kenya prisoners are complaining of lack of provisions of hand sanitizers, toothpaste and tooth brushes that are normally provided by visiting families and relatives.
It is important that Kenyans adhere to government directives and health guidelines such as regular washing and sanitizing of hands, social distancing, avoiding unnecessary travel and be informed of the latest information on COVID-19. The government is doing the much it can given the state of our economy. The effort by H.E. President Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta of appropriating an additional Ksh 10 billion to the elderly, orphans and other vulnerable members of our society to cushion them from adverse economic effects of COVID-19 pandemic is commendable.
It is time to come together as Kenyans and help the less fortunate in our society. This country is not short of rich individuals who can greatly supplement government’s effort. We don’t have to be reminded by philanthropist like Jack Ma of China to give back to our society. Whatever contribution each Kenyan makes, big or small, will go a long way in alleviating this menace. Trusted grassroots network such as village elders, Nyumba Kumi members, peace committees and interfaith leaders should be activated and coordinated for efficient distribution of food and other essential supplies to the vulnerable groups like women, children, elderly and persons with disabilities.
Guyo Liban is Peace building and Conflict Transformation practitioner