This archive report was first published on 13 May 2020.
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to spread in Kenya, Nairobi remains at the epicentre, accounting for over 60% of confirmed cases. The city's residents are facing a daunting challenge, with the virus spreading rapidly.
Efforts to contain the pandemic have so far involved emergency directives from the national Covid-19 emergency response committee and county governments. The Nairobi metropolitan area and four other counties have been subjected to two rounds of 21-day partial lockdowns, aimed at slowing the spread of the disease.
However, the partial lockdowns have been met with increasing disobedience, particularly during the second round. The curfew and restricted movement have not been enough to contain the virus, and the city's residents are paying the price.
According to experts, a total lockdown could be the turning point in managing the pandemic. But it would require three critical components: active humanitarian support, active medical support, and lesson learning for future planning.
Humanitarian support would be necessary to cushion the urban poor, who make up over 70% of the city's population. They rely on daily wages from casual work, home-based work, and small-scale businesses, and lack access to quality housing, sanitation services, proper nutrition, and medical care.
Active medical support would involve mass testing, isolation, and treatment. This would require the national and county governments to work together to scale up medical action and contain the spread of the disease.
Finally, lesson learning would be critical in managing the post-lockdown period. Rapid assessments and monitoring of experiences and preferences would help generate lessons for informed post-lockdown actions and long-term planning for future pandemics.
Ms. Anne Mwenda, chief officer for disaster management and coordination in the Nairobi County government, emphasized the importance of these three components in containing the virus. She noted that a total lockdown would be a huge sacrifice, involving loss of livelihoods, especially for the poor, and revenue losses to the Nairobi's economy.
