Concerns As Kenyans Run Away From Nairobi To The Village

Kenyans are literally running away from the capital city, Nairobi to the villages as the number of confirmed cases of Coronavirus continues to rise.

By Tuesday, March 17, 2020, the number of confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Kenya had risen to four (4) after tests were carried on 111 individuals with 23 others still under observation.

On Sunday, President Uhuru Kenyatta called on Kenyans to try as much as possible to “work from home”, avoid crowded places and observe general hygiene in an effort to combat the spread of the deadly Coronavirus.

The Head of State also ordered the closure of all learning institutions in the country and students released to go back to their homes to prevent any possible case of either of them getting infected while in school.

Kenyans seem to have taken the call to “work from home” from the government seriously. On Tuesday, streets in Nairobi seemed empty with few people scattered here and there. In what is normally witnessed during Christmas and New Year celebrations, Nairobi, for the first time since the 2007 post-election violence, looked empty with less human traffic.

There was huge traffic of cars along Thika Road and the Nairobi – Nakuru Highway with thousands of Kenyans opting to travel to their rural areas other than staying in Nairobi.

The unrestricted flow of people from Nairobi, however, is raising concerns among Kenyans and health practitioners of the possibility of the virus spreading across the country in the event that an infected person travels and interacts with people in other parts of the country.

Although county governments insist that they have put in place measures to combat the virus, so far the focus has only remained in Nairobi where tests are done. So far, there have been two suspected cases outside Nairobi with samples having to be taken to Nairobi for testing.

“The mass movement of people from Nairobi back to their villages without being tested is a huge risk. It is like gambling. A game of chance, in this case, with people’s lives. We don’t know how many among the thousands moving out might be infected,” said Lucas Maboko, a graduate of Forensic Science.

“For me, I can’t say these are people going home. For me, these are potential patients likely to infect innocent people at home. We should have a lockdown if we want to contain this,” said Tomkim Baraza Mzalendo, a highschool teacher.

What do you think? Should people be banned from traveling?

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