• Measures taken to fight the spread of the coronavirus inconvenience Kenyans
As the number of people testing positive for Covid-19 increases, the government is ramping up measures to limit social interaction.
The lives of Kenyans in the last month has taken a drastic turn, with the latest measures being the cessation of movement in and out of Nairobi, Kilifi, Kwale and Mombasa for three weeks.
While the measures are out to protect Kenyans against possibly contracting the virus, Wambui* (not her real name), 72, has been left to take care of herself as her family is not allowed to leave Nairobi to see her.
The grandmother of three, who suffers from a chronic disease, lives alone in Gatundu.
"Before, I was able to have my son or daughter come and drive me to and fro when I needed to go somewhere. But now I cannot because the government will not allow them to come and see me," she said.
Wambui is worried because she has been feeling unwell and there are no hospitals around her area that she trusts to treat her condition.
She had flown into the country in January to visit family but had her return flight cancelled due to travel restrictions.
"I am currently sick. I have been in a lot of pain the past few days. I have been trying to find a doctor to see me without any success because there are no doctors in my area with the capability or my medical history," she said.
Despite keeping in touch with family via phone, the grandmother says she misses seeing her children and grandchildren.
"Sometimes it is hard to reach them on phone. I miss them and we are no longer allowed to see each other, shake hands or sit too close to each other because of the virus," she said.
I'm very used to people. I've tried becoming more active on social media, but these days I often find myself feeling down and sad. There is so much negative energy and fearRuthie, 16
GO OUTSIDE
For basketball player Ruthie, 16, not being able to play the sport for over a month now has been very hard.
"Basketball is a contact sport, so understandably, we are not allowed to continue with the season, but it's hard," she said.
Ruthie, who has been playing the sport since she joined high school, says this is the first time she has not been in the court in over four years.
"I'm very proactive and outgoing. I like going out to watch games, play and interact with other players," she said. "Staying indoors is very hard, there isn't much to do anymore."
Sherry*, who identifies as an extrovert, says social distancing and staying at home have affected her mental health.
"I like going outside and interacting with people. I'm very social and I like being outside. Staying indoors is taking a really big toll on me," she said.
The university student initially tried to bend the rules with her friends and meet up as often as they could.
"A lot of my friends have been forced to go back to their parents' homes because there is no school. Since almost everyone is home now, meeting up has become hard," she said.
"We often had game nights and met on the weekends at various joints, but I haven't seen any of my friends in about two weeks."
She has tried to find hobbies at home to keep her busy but nothing seems to be working out for her.
"I'm very used to people. I've tried becoming more active on social media, but these days I often find myself feeling down and sad. There is so much negative energy and fear," she said.
LITTLE CHILDREN
For Mama Precious, convincing her children that staying inside is in their best interest is a challenge she faces every day.
Her firstborn, who is 10 years old, loves going outside and playing with his friends.
"He is very outgoing and social. He does not understand why he has to stay in the house and there is no school," she said. "Once or twice, I have caught him trying to open the door."
The mother of two has tried to purchase new toys for her children and find programmes on the Internet that can keep them busy.
"It's still not enough because these are children and at the end of the day, they just want to play outside with other children," she said.
Mama Precious allows her son to go outside to their balcony and talk to her neighbours' children from there.
"It's the closest he has interacted with his friends in a while. Sometimes, he cries, but there isn't much I can do to help him," she said.
MORE BAD NEWS
While briefing Kenyans on the rising number of cases, Health CS Mutahi Kagwe said Kenyans should expect an insurmountable challenge in the coming weeks.
“Let me just say this. My fellow Kenyans, let us brace ourselves for bad news. Let us be ready because all the measures we are going to take will not stop the disease abruptly. It is already here with us,” Kagwe said.
Kenya has so far tested more than 5,000 people. More than 1,928 have been monitored, of whom 1,415 have been discharged after completing the 14-day mandatory quarantine.
The ministry has started rapid testing in various health facilities, beginning with health workers.
Kagwe said Kenyans are getting mild infections and that the mortality rate is low, but warned people against laxity.
“We are praying and hoping for the best, but clearly, we must also prepare for the worst. And mentally we must prepare ourselves to face an insurmountable situation,” he said.
“We are akin to a boat that is sailing towards a massive storm, and we must brace ourselves and be ready mentally.”
He said the fight against the coronavirus will take a long time to be won, and urged those inconvenienced by travel restrictions to understand the situation.
“We must be ready. This is not going to be a short-term activity. We are not going to be dealing with this disease only for the next couple of weeks. Let's brace ourselves for the long-term. And by long-term, I mean for the next couple of months,” he said.
Kagwe said the measures the government has so far taken will prove effective only if Kenyans cooperate.
He said everyone going to public places should wear a mask as it is the only way to control the spread of the virus, adding that countries managing its spread also took similar measures.
Edited by T Jalio