Mohammed Hersi . A hotelier passionate about Tourism & Governance in Africa

Dear Fellow Kenyans,

To defeat this global Covid19 crisis we now need to start thinking of lockdown. It is only a matter of when and not if.

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For a smooth lockdown we must get a few things right to make it a success more so to help the vulnerable urban poor.

Firstly many of the urban poor have already left Nairobi and big towns for their rural homes. While middle class Kenyans can stock on dry goods and fill their fridges ordinary folks live hand to mouth. They WALK everyday from Kibera.Likoni. Kisauni etc to go to town to earn a daily earning to help them see another day hence the small packaging that many firms developed and dubbed kadogo economy.

Now we are quite good with Nyumba Kumi and this is where Huduma data should come in handy , we should map all the informal settlements and supply them with basic ration and fresh water. The daily needs by our brothers and sisters in these informal settlements is bare minimum. We just need to be considerate and practice some compassion. If GOK with support from private sector , Kenya Red Cross and well wishers worked together we can get them a ration to last them 21 days then another 21 days if need be as we attempt to break the corona infection chain and flatten the curve. We can then give lockdown a human face .

Announcing a lockdown without a plan for these folks we will be playing with fire. It is said a hungry man is an angry man. Let us not get there.

I believe GOK has the financial muscle to do that and as private sector will join in and we will then be good to go for lockdown. Private sector has the distribution network while GOK have the data of the people.

If India a nation of 1.3 Billion people has announced 21days lockdown I believe we can also do it with our 50Million population. Sierra Leone defeated Ebola with a lockdown but they made sure the poor folks also got basic ration to sustain them .

Time is of the essence and we need to move fast to avoid finding ourselves playing catch up.

Finally to my fellow Kenyans if you returned in the last two weeks you should be in self quarantine. This is NOT a holiday . Please stay at home. We have already reported adults who simply don’t care.

To our goverment you will NOT walk alone majority have your back, please don’t relent . You have our full support , The Kenyans who ignore the rules please get firm , tough and ruthless.

Folks Corona is here , it’s fight or flight . We cannot afford the latter we must fight and give it a TKO. I believe we can and as always I choose to remain an optimist.

Mohammed Hersi
Mombasa .