This archive report was first published on 28 April 2020.
With the Coronavirus pandemic spreading rapidly across the globe, Kenya's medical and security personnel are on the frontlines of the fight against the disease.
As of now, the reality of the pandemic is the uncertainty that surrounds us, with the rising number of positive cases serving as a stark reminder of the challenges we face in dealing with a viral disease with no cure and limited data.
Government measures to contain the spread of the virus are largely behavioral, but given human nature's tendency to rebel, certain policies must be enforced.
One such policy is the dawn-to-dusk curfew and the lockdown of hotspot counties like Nairobi and Mombasa.
Police patrols and roadblocks are in place to ensure people stay indoors and prevent the spread of the virus, and they require our support in terms of obeying directives and providing them with food and supplies to make their work easier.
It's not helpful when we play cat and mouse games, trying to bypass roadblocks through hidden routes to circumvent the law and put both lawbreakers and citizens at risk of spreading the virus.
Responsible citizens must be vigilant and alert law enforcement officers when these routes are used, and in extreme cases, citizen policing may be necessary to block anyone attempting to cross forbidden borders.
Collective ownership of the directives will ultimately lead to our defeating this disease and resuming normal life routines.
Our policemen and women, like all of us, need protective gear like masks, gloves, and sanitizers at their place of operation and in their homes.
It's essential to understand the need to go the extra mile to ensure they don't worry about taking care of themselves and us by providing them with the basics.
Organizations and individuals who have extended a hand to our security agencies deserve a pat on the back for showing the way, and we must see more of this support flowing to render support to the security enforcers for the benefit of our country.
Thanks to our media houses, we've been taken on trips through Covid-19 isolation wards, a sight that leaves one psychologically drained.
Imagine what the job does to the medic who is handling a patient; their lives are literally on the line as the risk of contracting the virus is real.
Doctors, nurses, and other staff working in hospitals in countries with sophisticated health systems have caught the virus on the job, with some sadly succumbing while trying to save lives.
The Kenya Private Sector Alliance, Elgon Kenya, Rotary International, and the Kenya Flower Council have been visiting hospitals, supplying flowers to the medics as a way of giving them hope in a difficult environment.
While the bouquets have been received with wide smiles and bright faces, the recipients have pleaded for protective clothing and subsistence support to enable them to fully concentrate on the task at hand.
These lifesavers need our moral and material support, and it's heartening to see the government directing special packages for healthcare workers to boost their morale at a critical moment.
