Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Beatrice Elachi on Sunday, April 5 identified middle-class Kenyans as one of the main stumbling blocks in the country's response to the Coronavirus (Covid-19).
Speaking to reporters in Nairobi, Elachi stated that the middle class was among 'key culprits' who were contravening government directives aimed at controlling the spread of the virus, in addition to accusing them of bringing the virus into Kenya with planes.
"We know it is us the middle class who take those planes to go out of the country, and therefore it is time for us to take responsibility, that we are privileged. We are the ones who have brought in Covid, let us not blame anyone of Mathare or Kibera but we're the ones who will give those from Mathare and Kibera because you have your househelp, she comes and washes your clothes and shoes, takes care of your house. If you have Covid, you give her," she stated.
The speaker called for the City of Nairobi to be put under lockdown urgently to stop the errant behavior by a section of Kenyans and curb the spread of Covid-19.
Lockdown
Calls for a lockdown have been growing louder with Elachi only the latest leader to add her voice to the debate.
Proponents of a lockdown, such as Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui, insist that it was the most effective way to control the spread of the dreaded virus.
"The infections are at the community level and the numbers might spike to unmanageable levels yet we are not well equipped to handle them," he argued.
The governor controversially stated on Friday, April 3, that the country would rather deal with the effects of hunger than have tens of thousands of confirmed cases.
Those against it, however, caution that without safety nets, many vulnerable Kenyans will be left to sleep hungry as they are unable to go out to fend for themselves, a potential recipe for chaos.
Food
In a conversation with Kenyans.co.ke, Nyali MP Mohammed Ali had stated that the dusk to dawn curfew was not sufficient as he called for a total lockdown across the country. Ali, however, asserted that he would only support the lockdown if the government committed to feeding every Kenyan household during the period.
He further called for the government to reach an agreement with landlords to have them waive rents for the duration of the proposed lockdown.
"At the sitting, I will push for the creation of a special kitty to provide food and subsistence allowances for households in Kenya.
"I don't think we're taking this thing seriously enough. Even in Italy, they took it as a joke at first and continued with their lives but look where they are now. We need a lockdown, but only once we have put measures in place to protect the most vulnerable in society. Of course, if we have a lockdown, the government must tell landlords that, look, you need to waive rent for two or three months.
"This curfew is not effective, people are interacting all day and taking the disease home with them. Look at Rwanda right now, they have put a lockdown in place and they are providing every household in the country with food," he stated on Monday, March 30.
