This archive report was first published on 21 April 2020.
On April 21, 2020, a disturbing incident unfolded in Kenya, highlighting the country's struggle to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. Mike Strano, the founder of Phat, revealed that his guard was arrested and taken to Muthangari police station for wearing a mask deemed 'fake'.
Strano stated that his guard had been observing all the rules to curb the spread of COVID-19, but was still arrested and fined KES 500. The guard was also forced to pay in cash, despite the government's hygiene directives encouraging cashless transactions.
Strano expressed his concern, saying, 'If we don't act swiftly, greed, impunity, and corruption in Kenya will result in unnecessary losses of lives to COVID-19.'
He went on to narrate the incident, stating that his guard was picked up by the county ambulance and police while walking to work. The guard was charged for wearing a 'fake' mask and fined KES 500 without a receipt. The officer recording the statement and others present were not wearing masks, and the guard's phone was confiscated to prevent him from taking photos.
Strano also highlighted the irony of the situation, saying that someone inside the police station was selling 'genuine' masks at KES 50, which was no different from the 'fake' mask his guard was wearing.
