This archive report was first published on 19 July 2020.
On July 16, 2020, Eric Mwiti, a taxi driver from Nairobi, returned home from a funeral in Meru, only to find himself locked out of his apartment by his landlord in Utawala.
The landlord had padlocked the door, leaving Mwiti with a 3-month rent deficit, which he couldn't pay due to the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
With no food or water, Mwiti sent a text message to his neighbours, who came to his rescue on July 19, 2020, bringing him bread and essential items through a grilled window.
His neighbours questioned the landlord's motive, arguing that locking Mwiti inside would only lead to his death.
After a three-day ordeal, Mwiti's neighbours managed to break the padlock and reported the incident to the Chief's office.
According to Health CAS Dr Rashid Aman, the pandemic had affected over 3 million livelihoods in the country, with a surge in job losses registered by the National Employment Authority.
