Health CS Mutahi Kagwe on Saturday made one of the most impassioned appeals to Kenyan youths during his daily coronavirus briefings.
He made a clarion call for the youth to step forward and lead the war against Covid-19.
He encouraged them to volunteer in large numbers as schools and colleges are closed and form groups or join established NGOs already providing help at all levels in the fight against the pandemic.
They can distribute water, sanitisers, send donated provision to families in need and marshal colleagues to keep off the streets and obey the curfew hours.
They can be powerful and effective messengers in sending out messages about maintaining physical distance and personal hygiene – two of the key tools in the war facing the world.
They should do this by working together with chiefs, sub-chiefs or village administrators.
Kagwe also encouraged passengers using PSVs and boda boda riders to wear a facemask.
Millions of passengers and commuters use matatus and buses every day. A facemask should not be optional. It must be mandatory. Every matatu crew and boda boda rider should lock out those without a facemask. Their own lives depend on it.
The government should also make payment of fares and groceries cashless. Kenya is the home of mobile money.
The World Health Organization has only at the weekend concluded that coronavirus can be spread via the air meaning if you are close to an infected person, there is a high chance of contracting the disease.
No effort and resource should be spared in the fight of the virus that threatens the lives and the economic mainstay of the country.
