The government has made it criminal to go into public spaces without wearing a mask in the wake of the raging coronavirus pandemic. This was among new rules introduced through a Special Gazette Notice issued on April 6. The fine for flouting the mask rule is Sh20,000 or a six-month jail sentence, or both. This was a welcome move, but a lot more needs to be done. First, the Sh20,000 fine is equivalent to the monthly wage of many Kenyans. This can hardly be effective. The mask directive was mostly made without context. For instance, Kenyans have been left to interpret for themselves what a mask constitutes, with little regard to the longstanding safety measures that need to be adhered to.
To date, there have been numerous promises by State agencies for provision of adequate masks and at an affordable cost, but none of these have come true. Ingenious Kenyans by the roadside are selling fabrics that can hardly provide any defence against the disease, and critically, can perhaps aid in the spread of not just the virus but other upper respiratory infections as hordes take turns to fit masks while looking for the perfect fit. We urge government to redouble its efforts in providing safe face masks for Kenyans during these trying times. The current rush for the masks has also exposed the country’s soft underbelly with regard to the poor state of manufacturing.
It is a shame that a country of 47 million people with dreams and ambitions of becoming a middle-income nation cannot produce masks for its people. It is a shame that such a country cannot also dress its medical staff appropriately to ensure their safety while fighting the pandemic.
It is a shame that medical personnel across the country are forced to put on their own protective masks while serving the public. It is a shame that in this day and age, Kenya, with its Sh3 trillion budget is still struggling with the basics of healthcare provision and that it has to rely on donations to kit her over-worked doctors, nurses, clinical officers and pharmacists.
