Total Lockdown: What An Average Family Needs As COVID-19 Cases Rise

Kenya projects that there could be more than 10,000 positive coronavirus cases in the country, as observed in other countries, a number of families have already begun shutting themselves in as the fear of a lockdown looms, we look at what an average family needs for survival in the event of a lockdown.

Kenyans, sadly, keep on calling for lockdown without really understanding what it entails while others are simply calling for it so that their loved ones can be locked indoors as they cannot stop loitering into public spaces.

Well, with Kenya projecting to have more than 10,000 coronavirus cases by the end of this month, a lockdown may be inevitable even as most Kenyans cannot afford to feed themselves for a bare two days as they survive on a hand to mouth basis.

If you are one of those Kenyans who have to visit mama mboga every evening and the home kiosk to buy your supper ingredients then this article is crucial as your mama mboga and local kiosk would have to shut down in case of a lockdown.

To survive a lockdown we look at what a normal household in Kenya would need:

Dry cereals

For dry cereals, you might want to look at places that sell in wholesale so that you can buy in bulk and save every penny as you will definitely be needing it.

If living in Nairobi areas that are not too far from the CBD, there are options such as Nyamakima from where you can get a variety of cereals including rice.

Below are options of dry cereals you could consider stocking in bulk depending on the size of your household In Preparation For A Lockdown:

Kidney beans

Yellow beans

Lentils (Kamande)

Green grams (Dengu)

Black beans (Njahi)

Soy Beans

Chickpeas

Navy beans (Noe)

Groundnuts (Njugu Karanga)

white bean (Mbaazi)

Black-eyed peas

Dried maize (muthokoi)

Cereals To Freeze In Preparation For A Lockdown:

French Beans (Mishiri)

Peas (minji)

The Flours

After you have the stews sorted, now it is time to sort the starches which will need you to purchase maize and wheat flour, rice and spaghetti depending on your taste.

Some people prefer to visit the Eastleigh wholesales but according to my experience, the long trip there is not worth the effort at all as the difference is very minimal and if you factor in the busfare, then it might be costlier.

The other issue with Eastleigh wholesalers is you have to be very careful and ensure what is being sold to you is legit as they will sell you expired goods if you are not keen, for example, Eastleigh has a brand of maize flour whose packaging is very similar to Pembe except for the name which is RIVER.

Instead of exhausting your brain trying to outplay the Eastleigh cons, the prices are not very different at local wholesales or supermarkets such as Carrefour, Naivas, and Tuskys where all you need to check is the expiry date.

Groceries And Fruits

For Nairobians living around the CBD, groceries are in variety at the Marikiti market but ensure you only buy what is very important as the colors can get you excited, though all this depends on your budget.

Avoid the places inside the housed sellers if you are on a small budget as they are extra expensive and is obvious this is not a time to go on unnecessary shopping sprees if you can help it.

If you buy onions, make sure they are dry or place them out to dry in the sun once home, and if you buy bulk tomatoes, make sure the majority of them are unripe.

If stories your bulk groceries in the fridge such as tomatoes, ensure they are not wet at all and do not refrigerate unripe tomatoes.

Ideas for Groceries and Fruits That Could Stay Longer If Well Stored:

Well Dried Onions

Ripe and Unripe Tomatoes

Coriander (Dhania) to be stored dry in a tightly shut nylon paper

Green bel