This archive report was first published on 18 July 2020.
Published on July 18, 2020, President Uhuru Kenyatta's decision to ease some Covid-19 restrictions on July 6 has sparked alarm about a potential spike in infections and deaths.
Despite the President's warning that not all desired conditions for re-opening had been met, he was persuaded by the argument that Kenyans would take responsibility for their own health.
However, the government needs to continue investing in the capacity to provide care for those most in need, rather than relying on individuals to be their 'brothers' keeper.
Frontline workers in the health sector are not protected, and the government should be more concerned about this than the behaviour of individuals breaking the curfew.
Stories are told of how, before travel was allowed into the counties previously locked down, the standard 'waiver fee' per car was Sh1,000, highlighting the realities of bribery in the country.
So, as the police continue to enforce the law, the government should invest in protecting health workers, educating people on home care, and increasing hospital capacity.
It is concerning that there are barely 400 ICU beds in the country, with more than two-thirds of them in Nairobi, and that clean running water is not available in most densely populated areas.
One of the first actions the government of Rwanda took was to install hand-washing units in crowded places like bus parks, a move that the Kenyan government should emulate.
Instead of arresting poor Kenyans for not wearing masks, the government should seek ways to ensure that those who cannot afford a mask daily or regularly are assisted.
War and pandemics like the one the world is confronting are opportunities for enterprising and venal opportunists to make money, but the scope of suspected malfeasance at the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority is mind-bending.
So, money is not necessarily the problem here; the focus for government is to do what it must do – provide facilities, protect health workers, reduce theft of supplies and money, and arrest those breaking the law.
— Tom Mshindi is a former Chief Editor of the Nation Group and is now Managing Partner at Blue Crane Global consulting.
