Corona Diaries 9 - Day 65 - Naivasha
Corona isn't the only worry here. Malaria, Cholera, Locusts, heavy-handed police and flooding
Day 65
Yesterday was the day I was waiting for. President Kenyatta was going to address the nation. The 21-day curfew extension was over. And he needed to tell us all what the situation was going to be.
The news, although kind of expected, was not good. Not good at all!
Yesterday was the day I was waiting for. President Kenyatta was going to address the nation. The 21-day curfew extension was over. And he needed to tell us all what the situation was going to be.
The news, although kind of expected, was not good. Not good at all!
Just to summarize:
So this clarifies that I had misunderstood the earlier directives, in that I am not limited to staying in Nakura county, just that the roads into Nairobi are blocked and of course to get to the counties on the coast which are also locked down, one must travel through Nairobi.
I am free to travel to other parts of Kenya, but when most of the hotels, if not all have been closed, what is the point of going anywhere. Do I need to risk trying to get someplace and get stranded cos I couldn't find onward transport and thus violating the curfew?
And this affects me because? My guest house is still open as it is a family homestay. Under normal circumstances, the owners live here. They get their business from locals coming up from Nairobi and Mombasa.
And now, no one can 'legally' make that journey. There have been a few local guests, all contractors doing whatever, here in Naivasha. But it's hardly bringing in much cash.
I feel for the few remaining staff. And I hope that it doesn't come to it that the place is forced to close. For their sake and mine.
Just going to break off here to give you the COVID-19 stats as of May 17, 2020, 07:00 GMT:
- The 7 pm until 5 am curfew was extended (this doesn't affect me in the slightest)
- The borders to Tanzania are to be closed except for goods (I thought that they already were AND why have they remained open until now? Fuck knows!)
- The cessation of movement into and out of Nairobi Metropolitan Area, Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale and Mandera.
So this clarifies that I had misunderstood the earlier directives, in that I am not limited to staying in Nakura county, just that the roads into Nairobi are blocked and of course to get to the counties on the coast which are also locked down, one must travel through Nairobi.
I am free to travel to other parts of Kenya, but when most of the hotels, if not all have been closed, what is the point of going anywhere. Do I need to risk trying to get someplace and get stranded cos I couldn't find onward transport and thus violating the curfew?
And this affects me because? My guest house is still open as it is a family homestay. Under normal circumstances, the owners live here. They get their business from locals coming up from Nairobi and Mombasa.
And now, no one can 'legally' make that journey. There have been a few local guests, all contractors doing whatever, here in Naivasha. But it's hardly bringing in much cash.
I feel for the few remaining staff. And I hope that it doesn't come to it that the place is forced to close. For their sake and mine.
Just going to break off here to give you the COVID-19 stats as of May 17, 2020, 07:00 GMT:
COVID-19 |
Cases |
Deaths |
Recovered |
Kenya |
830 |
50 |
301 |
Very negligible as you can see when compared to the stats from the UK, Italy, France, Spain and the USA to mention just a few.
The everyday lives of most Kenyans have been severely affected. It's not affecting them the same way this endless lockdown affects me and those in the richer nations of the world where people have savings can work from home, where the government bails them out and gives its citizens' stimulus checks.
Business is slow here and people are going hungry. Many people are affected by the restrictions over what are very few fatalities from COVID-19.
I like to think that their strategy here is to contain the spread. Get the people who are +ve off the streets, into quarantine. They will either recover or succumb. The number of cases is still manageable. But when the borders to Tanzania have still been open until now, I am asking myself if they really have a plan?
And the people of Naivasha not only have to worry about the effects of the restrictions imposed or the fear of catching CORONA.
This is the situation here:
It's been raining a lot in the last 6 weeks. Most days we get an inch of rain. When it really comes down, we get 2 inches.
The result is that the level of Lake Naivasha has risen to record levels. The small estate, Kihoto, on the outskirts of town, on the shore on the lake, is underwater. The sewers have been overwhelmed. There is a risk of cholera.
The everyday lives of most Kenyans have been severely affected. It's not affecting them the same way this endless lockdown affects me and those in the richer nations of the world where people have savings can work from home, where the government bails them out and gives its citizens' stimulus checks.
Business is slow here and people are going hungry. Many people are affected by the restrictions over what are very few fatalities from COVID-19.
I like to think that their strategy here is to contain the spread. Get the people who are +ve off the streets, into quarantine. They will either recover or succumb. The number of cases is still manageable. But when the borders to Tanzania have still been open until now, I am asking myself if they really have a plan?
And the people of Naivasha not only have to worry about the effects of the restrictions imposed or the fear of catching CORONA.
This is the situation here:
It's been raining a lot in the last 6 weeks. Most days we get an inch of rain. When it really comes down, we get 2 inches.
The result is that the level of Lake Naivasha has risen to record levels. The small estate, Kihoto, on the outskirts of town, on the shore on the lake, is underwater. The sewers have been overwhelmed. There is a risk of cholera.
There are no reported cases yet but more than 2,000 people have been displaced.
The floods in Kenya as of May 13 for this season, have displaced more than 870,000 people and the death rate stands at 237 (compared to COVID-19 deaths of 44 on the 13th of May):
The floods in Kenya as of May 13 for this season, have displaced more than 870,000 people and the death rate stands at 237 (compared to COVID-19 deaths of 44 on the 13th of May):
The Kenyan government fights to contain the Corona spread but this is not helped by situations like this:
And this is what Kenyans have to deal with too (dated April 16):
This will become the 'new normal':
After all, Kenyans live with this:
That's 25,000 (2018) every year who die from AIDS related illnesses. And then there is the malaria. A massive killer across Africa with approximately, 10,700 deaths a year in Kenya alone.
