Lack of plan to supply food will hurt the poor in isolation bid

Marikiti market in Nairobi. [Photo: Standard]

Lack of a plan to ensure food supply may undermine efforts to have people to stay at home in the wake of coronavirus outbreak as only a few families can afford home deliveries.

Those who suspect they may have contracted the virus are required to self-quarantine. However, there has been no explanation of how they will get critical supplies.

Some of the countries on lockdown, and where food is mainly sourced from formal markets, people have turned to drive-through, pickups or deliveries for sustenance.

Kenya which faces major quarantines is yet to state how such people would access essentials including food.

Since the first case of Covid-19 was reported in Kenya last Friday, the Government has asked Kenyans to enhance hygiene, work from home and use electronic money more during transactions than cash.

Already, upmarket restaurants in Nairobi are providing hand sanitiser and have also implemented the social distance seating. They have also enhanced home deliveries for those working from home.

Jumia Food Index Report 2019, however, shows home food delivery, a nascent service in Kenya, is largely a preserve of well-to-do households.

The index shows most deliveries are mainly made to Kilimani and Kileleshawa estates in Nairobi Nyali in Mombasa and Milimani in Nakuru.

Supermarkets are asking customers to sanitise hands before entering and there’s increased electronic cash.

At Tumaini Supermarket along Outering Road in Nairobi, tellers said they have seen a major spike in the number of customers transacting through electronic platforms. But in informal food markets such as Marikiti, Muthurwa, Wakulima, Nyamakima and Gikomba in Nairobi, cash and human-to-human transactions remain the order of the day.

Data from the University of Nairobi’s Hungry Cities project shows most food products go through these markets before reaching various retailers.

“Hapa sauti ni cash, corona baadaye,” said Mike Oloo, who buys kales at Marikiti and sells them in Kibera.

This informal food system, UoN says serves 70 per cent or about 3.8 million of city residents mainly through mama mboga, kiosks, and roadside eateries and takeaways.

“Many of these families live from hand to mouth and cannot go into self-quarantine for long periods. It is important for the Government to quickly mobilise assistance for them,” said the Kenya Human Rights Commission on Tuesday.

Even without coronavirus, 14.5 million Kenyans go without adequate food, says 2019 Global Hunger Index released on Thursday in Nairobi.