Covid-19: It is simply irresponsible not to bring Kenyans home

A man and a child wear masks at Bandaranaike International Airport after Sri Lanka confirmed the first case of coronavirus in the country, in Katunayake, Sri Lanka January 30, 2020. [Reuters]

At a time other countries have banned flights from China, Kenya allowed 239 Chinese nationals into the country on Wednesday last week. The Chinese plane was cleared to land despite the declaration, barely a fortnight ago, by the World Health Organisation (WHO) describing the outbreak of coronavirus as a “very grave threat for the rest of the world". It is instructive that WHO harbours fear poor countries may not be able to cope with an outbreak.

That the government allowed a China Southern Airlines plane from Guangdong - the second hardest-hit city in China - to land at JKIA underscores the Chinese Communist Party’s hold on the Kenyan government. This was completely reckless of the Chinese and Kenyan administrations since it is common knowledge that Kenya, and indeed Africa, are ill-prepared to deal with this virus.

Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo attempted to defend this irresponsible act by the government, claiming the decision to allow passengers from China was made in the best interest of the country. Which best interest was that?

On January 31, 2020, members of the Kenyan Students Association of Wuhan wrote a letter to Sarah Serem, Kenya’s High Commissioner in China, expressing their fear and gave us a glimpse of the terror that many Kenyans in Wuhan were experiencing. Other countries had begun evacuating their citizens from the epicentre of the coronavirus epidemic. By the time the lackadaisical embassy responded on February 2, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases had almost doubled.

In a stark betrayal of nationalism and glaring evidence that our leaders have an atrophied sense of purpose, the government refused to evacuate Kenyan students in Wuhan. Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Macharia Kamau told a press conference that the students were “safe where they are” and that “China is doing a great job protecting our students.” 

Kenyans living in foreign countries deserve to be treated with utmost concern by the government. That is what countries that value their citizens do. For instance, Austria denied entry to a train from Italy on suspicion two of the travelers might be infected with the coronavirus. France is expected to repatriate several of its 800 citizens living in Wuhan. Japan is expected to arrange charter flights as early as Tuesday next week for any of its citizens who wish to return from Wuhan. Spain’s Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya has been quoted saying that he is working with China and the European Union to repatriate Spanish nationals from Wuhan.

The US State Department said it will evacuate personnel from its Wuhan consulate. Britain is talking to international partners to find solutions to help British and other foreign nationals to leave Wuhan. Saudi Arabia is halting the entry of Muslim pilgrims seeking to worship at the Holy cities of Mecca and Medina as the kingdom attempts to slow the spread of coronavirus.

A 2017 World Bank report revealed Kenya is not prepared to tackle a pandemic. The report cited failure to take the necessary steps to withstand an attack as the key reason. The report is validated by the failure of government to effectively contain malaria and cholera outbreaks that have plagued the country since 2014. To exacerbate matters, our health system is in disarray. To even get paracetamol tablets in most health facilities is a miracle.

Evacuation plea

It defies logic that a country unable to control locust invasions can nonchalantly and thoughtlessly expose the whole country to the risk of a virus whose antidote is yet to be found. It goes against national pride and sworn duty to ignore Kenyan students' evacuation plea for fear they might spread the coronavirus, but allow Chinese airlines unfettered entry without screening, vetting and subjecting the travellers to the requisite 14 days’ quarantine under keen observation.

What can best describe absurdity and incomprehensible naivety on the part of the government officials than the belief there was prior screening? And what exactly is self-quarantine? Can we be sure, for instance, that the 239 people who landed from China on Wednesday last week will isolate themselves, and therefore keep off others for 14 days? And did I mention that Kenya has only 11 isolation beds ready to be used in case of a coronavirus outbreak?

Only anger by Kenyans and courage to punish complicity and lethargy will restore the nation to its senses. The government must show that it values the health of Kenyans more than business dealings with China and suspend flights and other countries with many cases of Covid-19. Doing otherwise is to play Russian roulette with Kenyans’ lives. 

 

Dr Aukot is Party Leader, Thirdway Alliance