President John Pombe Magufuli has been demonstrating an increasingly erratic approach to Covid-19 in Tanzania.
He has dismissed positive tests by Tanzanian health technicians as "sabotage" and said that the virus cannot spread in mosques and churches because evil cannot live in the presence of God.
Now he is sending a plane to Madagascar to collect a shipment of Covid-Organics, a miracle cure touted by President Andry Rajoelina.
Magufuli was trained as a scientist and should know that the Madagascar medicine cannot be considered a cure because it has not undergone any clinical trials. He is giving the Tanzanian people false hope at a time when it has more Covid-19 cases than any other East African country.
Uganda and Rwanda have imposed the toughest lockdowns while Kenya is treading a middle road. Tanzania and Burundi are almost casual in their approach and Covid-19 is likely to explode there.
This poses a serious risk to Kenya. There is regular cross-border movement for cattle markets and other activities. If Tanzania cannot protect itself, it endangers Kenya and undermines our own protective measures. The government should consider closing the border with Tanzania.
Quote of the day: "Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards."
Søren Kierkegaard
The Danish philosopher was born on May 5, 1813
