By Okong’o Oduya
Busia County, Kenya: Kenya went into lockdown to curb the spread of the new covid-19; this was one week after Kenya announced its first case of covid-19 on March 13. Two weeks later, the number was 31.
In the middle of fears of a major outbreak, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced a number of measures to slow the spread of COVID-19.
It shut down its borders and suspended most air travel, except cargo flights and trucks to transport goods to various parts of the country and the world.
Kenya also asked government institutions, businesses, and companies to allow staff to work from home, with the exception of employees working in critical or essential services.
A few weeks later Nairobi and Mombasa were among the worst-hit cities in Kenya forcing the government to announce secession, nobody could enter or leave the said towns without permission from authorities.
52 days down the line the pressure is piling to the government to slowly open up the country to allow normal operations to take place to salvage the collapsing economy.
Leaders from Busia County are calling upon the national government to come up with strategies on how to normalize things as the country continues to fight the virus.
Matayos Member of National assembly Geoffrey Odanga says the government should find ways in which people can live with the disease without paralyzing the country’s operations.
He says those in the employment sector start working in shifts or work from homes, maintaining social distance, washing and sanitizing their hands as they continue with their daily duties adding that majority of Kenyans live hand to mouth and with the current situation life will be more frustrating.
According to him, Kenya should emulate other countries that are opening up their countries as they find how they can live with the disease.
“Other countries such as Uganda and India are slowly returning to normalcy and I think our government should emulate the same. We need to revive our economy, let businesses be opened up. The government should direct us on how to live together without infecting one another with this disease. Even if it means working in shifts, and others working from home, we should do something to go back to our normal life,” he said
He wanted the government to open schools especially standard eight and form four candidates to give them enough time to prepare for their national exams later this year.
He urged the government to fumigate all classes that are being used as quarantine centers across the country before allowing learning to proceed.
“Schools need to be opened up, let the government open schools in bits. Let it first allow candidates to go back to school. Exams is around the corner and they need enough time to prepare for it, but before that, let the government fumigate all classrooms that are being used as quarantine centers to minimize possibilities of infecting the learners with the disease,” he said
On traffic snarl-up along the East African borders over corona issue, Odanga called on presidents of the East African Countries to speak in one voice and address the challenges facing the region.
“I want to request east African leaders, as a community we must speak in one voice in addressing challenges facing us. It is just borders that separate us but we are brothers. We want to see the relevance of the protocol that binds us as the East African Community. It is not wise to treat each other as enemies when faced with challenges. We want to continue working as a community,” he said
Addressing the press during the distribution of sanitizing equipment and facemasks to his constituents, Odanga said one way of reducing congestion caused by trucks transporting cargo causing traffic snarl-up along the borders, Kenya should extend the railway line to Uganda to enable certain goods to use railway line to Uganda.
He says this should be among the measures the government needs to use in addressing challenges that come with long queues caused by trucks along the borders.
“In future, we need the government to extend the railway line to the border and all the way to Uganda. If the railway line had reached Malaba, it could have addressed challenges facing the clearing process of truck drivers along our borders, creating diplomatic tension along the borders of East African Countries,” he clarified
However, Cabinet secretary of transport James Macharia noted that the government is addressing the traffic snarl-up at Malaba border to clear four trucks that had blocked the entrance to Uganda.
According to Macharia, the Kenyan truck drivers refused to proceed with their journey to Uganda and beyond citing harassment and frustration by Uganda security personnel.
Addressing the nation cabinet secretary east African community Aden Mohamed assured Kenyans that every driver must undergo test 48 hours and obtain covid-19 free certificate before embarking on his journey.
