"If we continue to live normally, this disease will treat us abnormally," said Health CS Mutahi Kagwe in a press briefing on March 22, 2020.
His quote went viral as many Kenyans could relate to how their lives had changed with the stringent measures put in place by the government to combat the spread of Covid-19.
The curfew announced by President Uhuru Kenyatta that would run from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. would see many families stuck together in their homes, bearing in mind that all schools had been ordered to close.
Though rarely talked about, the school-going children bore the brunt of some of these measures. From staying home hungry to mental torture and others sexual offences meted on them, these are some of the issues children have been going through.
Cases to note
On March 29, a 13-year-old boy who was standing outside a third-floor house balcony in Kiamiko Estate, made headlines after a police bullet struck his stomach, leaving him to bleed to death. The officers had stormed the estate in a bid to enforce the curfew.
On April 28, 2020, three little girls walked 11km to the Nairobi Central Business District, where they performed a poem, noting that their parents had been fired from their workplaces, hence, they had been struggling to survive. They called upon well-wishers to help and support them.
On April 30, a woman made headlines after she boiled stones for her children to trick them into sleeping. Peninah Kitao, a widow, blamed the tough economic times for her troubles.
In a press briefing on May 14, 2020, World Vision Kenya, an international Christian humanitarian organisation, stated that it was working with the government and other stakeholders to protect children from abuse or violation of their rights in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
"We have all read reports that domestic abuse and especially violence on children which is on the rise. So we continue to support awareness creation, to make sure children are protected," a representative from the organisation stated.
The organisation further requested the National Covid-19 Emergency Response Committee to consider developing specific Covid-19 child protection standards and operating procedures that integrate child safeguarding guidelines.
Kenyans.co.ke talked to Sarah Wangari, a mother to a three-year-old boy, who stated that she had noticed some changes in her son since the spread of the virus began.
"Immediately after the first case was announced, I noticed a lot of changes in my apartment. Nobody wanted their kids to play with each other and after some time, most of the parents started taking their kids upcountry.
"It has been difficult for my three-year-old son. He keeps asking where his friends and why he doesn't go to school nowadays. He wonders if he will ever meet his friends and teachers again. I have explained and though he hasn't gotten used to it, he knows there is a disease like Coronavirus," Sarah, a mother told our newsdesk.
Causes of Anxiety in Children in The Wake of Coronavirus
Speaking with Kenyans.co.ke, Faith Nashipae, a professional counsellor and psychologist at Thriving Families Kenya stated that one of the major problems of metal torture in children in the wake of Covid-19 is the failure of parents to explain to the children why they needed to stay home and not go about their normal lives.
"Children do not know what to make of this. Their whole system has been distracted. Initially, they were going to school, playing with friends, listening to teachers.
"Now most of them have to deal with farming for those in the countryside and online classes for children whose parents can access," she stated, adding that it would be a trigger for any child.
She added that children get anxiety after staying in the same place for long hours and doing the same kind of activity on a daily basis.
"Some children feel cornered, they are confined to their houses and some can become stressed," she stated.
How Can Children Get Help
Nashipae stated that parents needed to be more accommodative of children by getting into their world and support them in the best way possible.
"Pick some of the small changes in your baby. Are they becoming more of cry babies? Are they screaming more? This will help parents come up with better ways to help their children," she added.
