State needs to provide safe and affordable masks for all Kenyans

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.