NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 18- Was it necessary?
This was the question many Kenyans were left asking, after a night operation to enforce the 8pm to 4am curfew saw thousands stranded across Nairobi County, among them essential service providers.
Those worst hit were motorists plying along the Thika Super Highway.
Many Kenyans resulted to social media, now a powerful tool for agitation, to call out the law enforcers, while displaying the mess as it happened.
Experts like Amref Health Africa Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Githinji Gitahi weighed in the conversation on Twitter.
In a Tweet that attracted thousands of reactions, Dr Githinji called for a change of approach, in efforts to contain the pandemic.
The Amref Health Africa boss added, “Until we have vaccinated a good proportion of our population, COVID-19 infection is not the issue but who needs hospitalization/medical care and can our health system provide it equitably? That means timely adequate surge oxygen, health workers and critical care beds.”
Of the thousands of motorists who were stranded before the road blocks were unmounted at 11.30pm included essential service providers like ambulances. Women and children, some unwell, were also caught up in the melee.
“I was rushing my baby to hospital,” a stranded father, who did not give his name, said. All along, his pensive wife sat silently while clutching their baby.
Media Council of Kenya Programme Coordinator Victor Bwire said, “we should not militarize a public health issue.”
Here are other reactions from Kenyans on Twitter;
But there is the lot that believed the police were simply following the law, saying it is the motorists who were on the wrong.
Others immediately started the #unlockourCountry hashtag, which was directed to President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Nairobi, Kiambu, Kajiado, Nakuru and Machakos Counties are on lockdown, after the President declared them disease infected zones. By the time, they accounted for 70 per cent of the new coronavirus infections.
The country is currently witnessing a high death rate occasioned by COVID-19 and as well as a high infection rate. Since March 2020, the country has lost 2,463 lives.
On Saturday, 1,027 more people tested positive for the virus from 7,184 samples tested across the country. Kenya’s COVID-19 caseload stands at 151, 287.
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