Self Isolating in Naivasha during the COVID-19 Pandemic
March 25, 2020 | Tagged: Kenya
Kenya is not yet on complete lockdown. Mini-buses continue to run, though at half capacity and fares have been doubled. I know for sure that the main border to Uganda is closed at Busia. I am assuming that all other borders to Uganda are closed too. I can't find any updates on the borders crossings to Ethiopia at Moyale, nor on the numerous crossings to Tanzania.
I flew in from Abidjan, Ivory Coast on March 12, via Addis Ababa. On the 16th they blocked entry to all non-residents. I knew what was coming. I got myself out of Nairobi and came up to Naivasha, a small town 100km, 60 miles north of the capital.
I knew borders would close in an effort to contain the spread. After tonight there are no incoming or outgoing flights.
I felt I was at most risk on the flight from Addis. There were too many people on the move. They have since stated that all passengers coming in must self-quarantine.
I didn't mingle with many people but avoiding others is pretty impossible. I met 2 from France, just off of the flight, in the hostel in Nairobi. I have met other Westerners here though all are 'living' in Kenya. Yes, I have chatted with them but no one is shaking hands or fist-bumping. We all keep a safe distance.
To date there are 25 cases, 5 I think are foreigners. There are no reported deaths. 1 of the +ve foreigners was traced to a hotel in Naivasha. Quite a big one with 25 staff, all of whom are now in quarantine at the hotel.
I called a team meeting with the staff here. I am for 24 hours the only guest. I needed to know the score. The owners are a German man and his Kenyan wife. They are in Europe. They know I am here. They know I am restricting my movements. I have nowhere to go anyway, which is the main worry. I understand business. It costs money to employ the staff. But they were told to keep coming into work. 3 live on-site, the rest live in a small village on the edge of Naivasha.
I need shelter and I need food. The staff here, a lovely bunch of people said that I do not need to worry in any way about being forced to leave. I will be looked after. I almost choked.
There is no boss here. All staff are on the same level. They discuss things between them. There is my treehouse. 5 beds and about 5 suites and a few other rooms in the main building. There is a small restaurant with a fully equipped kitchen. There is a small pool. The grounds are quite big. It needs constant upkeep.
Anthony is the maintenance guy. He is building the staff quarters. Dixon is the gardener. Johnson runs the office. Phyllis, Sandra and 1 other lady work the morning shift. 3 guys work the afternoon and evening shift and there is the cook and 2 security guys. The property has to be kept secure. The Olive Resort next door is closed. Yet the security guy is there, every day.
The German owner had a school built here. He took quite a few under his wing and gave them a job here. They don't seem to be worried about losing their jobs so as long as that holds true, I have a place to stay.
But who knows what intentions the authorities have.
I am doing the right thing. Keeping a low profile. Sure I go into town for lunch/dinner and to the supermarket for Digestive biscuits. There are handwashing stations everywhere. I did go to the Crescent Island Game Sanctuary. I rode a boda-boda (moto-taxi) there, a small mini-van on the way back and when I went hippo spotting I took the small mini-van and walked the 7km back. My invite to return for a free walking safari is on hold.
How long is this going to carry on for? No one knows. But it is gonna be a long dragged out affair. So I have a place to stay. A comfortable place to stay. I need to make my life comfortable.
To keep me busy, I have books on Kindle. I found a Sudoku puzzle book. I read blogs. My favourite being www.thecandytrail.com. The owner of this site is one of the sanest guys I know. Nothing fazes him. He was also under lockdown in a hotel car park in Dali.
I have quite a few blog posts to write. These take time but it's not like time is in short supply is it. They are posts on personal things. One particular one is the West African Story of why I bailed out, again. It needs time and my thoughts to get it together. 1 want to do one as to why you didn't find me scrambling to get on the last flight out, back to England. This is very personal and perhaps too private to be aired on-line.
So I set up a little office, underneath my treehouse to get some unpaid work done:
I flew in from Abidjan, Ivory Coast on March 12, via Addis Ababa. On the 16th they blocked entry to all non-residents. I knew what was coming. I got myself out of Nairobi and came up to Naivasha, a small town 100km, 60 miles north of the capital.
I knew borders would close in an effort to contain the spread. After tonight there are no incoming or outgoing flights.
I felt I was at most risk on the flight from Addis. There were too many people on the move. They have since stated that all passengers coming in must self-quarantine.
I didn't mingle with many people but avoiding others is pretty impossible. I met 2 from France, just off of the flight, in the hostel in Nairobi. I have met other Westerners here though all are 'living' in Kenya. Yes, I have chatted with them but no one is shaking hands or fist-bumping. We all keep a safe distance.
To date there are 25 cases, 5 I think are foreigners. There are no reported deaths. 1 of the +ve foreigners was traced to a hotel in Naivasha. Quite a big one with 25 staff, all of whom are now in quarantine at the hotel.
I called a team meeting with the staff here. I am for 24 hours the only guest. I needed to know the score. The owners are a German man and his Kenyan wife. They are in Europe. They know I am here. They know I am restricting my movements. I have nowhere to go anyway, which is the main worry. I understand business. It costs money to employ the staff. But they were told to keep coming into work. 3 live on-site, the rest live in a small village on the edge of Naivasha.
I need shelter and I need food. The staff here, a lovely bunch of people said that I do not need to worry in any way about being forced to leave. I will be looked after. I almost choked.
There is no boss here. All staff are on the same level. They discuss things between them. There is my treehouse. 5 beds and about 5 suites and a few other rooms in the main building. There is a small restaurant with a fully equipped kitchen. There is a small pool. The grounds are quite big. It needs constant upkeep.
Anthony is the maintenance guy. He is building the staff quarters. Dixon is the gardener. Johnson runs the office. Phyllis, Sandra and 1 other lady work the morning shift. 3 guys work the afternoon and evening shift and there is the cook and 2 security guys. The property has to be kept secure. The Olive Resort next door is closed. Yet the security guy is there, every day.
The German owner had a school built here. He took quite a few under his wing and gave them a job here. They don't seem to be worried about losing their jobs so as long as that holds true, I have a place to stay.
But who knows what intentions the authorities have.
I am doing the right thing. Keeping a low profile. Sure I go into town for lunch/dinner and to the supermarket for Digestive biscuits. There are handwashing stations everywhere. I did go to the Crescent Island Game Sanctuary. I rode a boda-boda (moto-taxi) there, a small mini-van on the way back and when I went hippo spotting I took the small mini-van and walked the 7km back. My invite to return for a free walking safari is on hold.
How long is this going to carry on for? No one knows. But it is gonna be a long dragged out affair. So I have a place to stay. A comfortable place to stay. I need to make my life comfortable.
To keep me busy, I have books on Kindle. I found a Sudoku puzzle book. I read blogs. My favourite being www.thecandytrail.com. The owner of this site is one of the sanest guys I know. Nothing fazes him. He was also under lockdown in a hotel car park in Dali.
I have quite a few blog posts to write. These take time but it's not like time is in short supply is it. They are posts on personal things. One particular one is the West African Story of why I bailed out, again. It needs time and my thoughts to get it together. 1 want to do one as to why you didn't find me scrambling to get on the last flight out, back to England. This is very personal and perhaps too private to be aired on-line.
So I set up a little office, underneath my treehouse to get some unpaid work done:
I am not under forced quarantine. I am simply staying put. Arrivals were asked to self-quarantine. Many didn't. I am here in a country that is not my own. I don't want to piss off the authorities. It's 2 weeks since I flew in and it's my 12th day here. Where can I go? Nowhere really. Best off staying here and just waiting until it all dies down.
As to how long that will take is a different matter. Uganda will still be there next month.
As to how long that will take is a different matter. Uganda will still be there next month.