ARE WE REALLY SAFE?
By: Mike Nzuki
Tags: Planning, Kenya, Crisis, Future, Safety

Let’s face it, as much as the human race has grown significantly smart; We are equally pretty oblivious of a whole lot o stuff. If 2020 has not proven that, then not even an ET-Extraterrestrial can convince you. I wonder how the reaction would be like if an invasion actually happened at the core of Kenya’s capital, Nairobi? Well technically it already happened and people do not even realize it.

COVID-19, the unknown angle of death that has swept from continent to continent reeking havoc, yet we still have no plan on how to deal with it. In fact, some have taken advantage in their own disbelief and that of their own people to make a whole lot of coin. Took them four months to fill their pockets, following foreign strategies to try and slow the hand of this grim ripper virus. But what works for Kamau’s homestead does not work for Onyango’s.

I would have though that this a basic principal that people we put in seats of power, surrounded by a bunch of advisors, body guards and access to “endless” resources, plus hefty salaries; would at least understand — Sorry if your out of breath reading about the power we blatantly give to them. Oh well, back to the sad reality of this pandemic. So money is harvested as the virus spreads and fake numbers air.

When the tables turn and the public is angry because now even hunger threatens their existence, the numbers miraculously start dropping-Thank papa Jaden! Now that they start dropping; yet they actually start rising. Don’t confuse reality and politics…

My point here is that, we had a chance to see what our reaction to strange and unexpected situations would be. So if it were actual aliens, now we know where loyalties lie and that there is no plan to save the Kenyan people. But perhaps the most freaky realization is that, not even the guys who should have a plan, have one. If our own government is unable to protect us from ‘matters of national security’, then what hope do we have?

Sure they say that there was a committee hand picked by Jaden himself to handle the pandemic, but handle seems to have taken on a new meaning. People are still dying, others getting rich so “great f*cking work committee”. Anyway, that is water mostly water under the bridge now. They say the youth are mindless sex addicts who only know how to spend and make bad life choices; But I bet this one-me, could have had abetter contingency plan for dealing with the pandemic.

Lets see.. Once this thing hit, the first logical course of action is come up with a crisis response plan, based on Kenyan statistics and understanding of the local community. Knowing these factors would have played a great role:

1. COVID-19 came from abroad- “So shut down the freaking airports’

2. COVID-19 first hit Nairobi and could possibly be in Mombasa- because those are the only two counties with international arrivals.- So freaking lock down Nairobi and Mombasa.

3. COVID-19 Spreads quickly- So be quick about communicating and warning the rest of the population.

4. COVID-19 thrives in highly crowded areas- So temporarily shut down the public gatherings and facilities(hotels, offices, funerals etc.)

5. COVID-19 would affect the economy- So handle it ASAP so that business resumes.

6. Those Infected would need quarantine- So make quarantine centres in the two hot zones.

I believe that those six basic steps from a dumb youth, would have been realized and put into effect within the first month of this disaster. That would have saved the budget for building quarantine centres in every county, the long business ruining lock down and the uncertainty of infected numbers in the country But instead, we waited and did what first world countries did.

Moving forward there should a carefully defined crisis template for unknown foreign biological, physical, technological and even natural crisis that covers every aspect making up the Kenyan jurisdiction. Most importantly ensuring that the citizens survive and continue to live even under difficult situations.