Long read, copied from FB
Last night I watched on Prime time news as Governor Joho of Mombasa expressed his disappointment at the low turnout of his people for the mass testing for COVID-19. He emphasized the dangers that the people faced - including explosion of the viral disease and eventual death - if the people of the county that’s second worst hit by the virus continued with their defiance. Similar low numbers of volunteers turned out for testing in Eastleigh and Kawangware, which have been identified as hotspots in Nairobi. And I couldn’t help but wonder just why people would keep off such crucial activities that are meant to save lives by preventing the spread of the pandemic. Until it dawned on me that people will always act in self-interest and in self-preservation when faced by dire situations.
So, I got wondering what these self-interests are. You see, the Government’s communication strategy on COVID-19 has succeeded at instilling fear of death by COVID-19 in the hearts and minds of people. To a heart that is full of fear of death through COVID-19, going for the test equates to going to find out whether the person is going to die or not. So, acting in self-interest and for self-preservation, one would rather go hide in a cave than get tested.
Second, the Government hasn’t succeeded at ending the stigma that it created around the issue of quarantine. Let’s face it, quarantine for suspected cases and isolation of confirmed ones for treatment are an integral part in the fight against COVID-19, as they take the suspected and confirmed cases out of the population to prevent further spread. However, quarantine has also become a form of punishment for those unlucky enough to have been construed by the police of “defying” government orders regarding the curfew. Ask Eko Dydda, and the mother from Western Kenya who had to share a carton board with her month old child on the floor in quarantine - they know better. The videos on social media about people attempting suicide to escape quarantine and associated fees have shed light to the hali halisi in the facilities.
So, if someone from Kawangware, Mombasa Old Town, Eastleigh or any other part of Kenya willingly confesses to having come into contact with an infected person, they will be taken to quarantine, which equates to being punished for being in contact with the infected person. This could also mean losing the kibarua from where he or she gets the daily bread due to absenteeism, and then being slapped with a bill she can’t afford at the end of the quarantine period. So, kwasababu watu wamefunguka macho na wanaona mbele, wamegundua that the innocent act of kupanga laini ukapimwe could result in loss of family contact, social stigma, loss of livelihood, and getting into unplayable debts at a time when the economy is on a downward spiral. So, akiona hao watu wa kupima, atakanyanga makubwa makubwa - nani anapenda hasara?
There are more possible reasons why people won’t voluntarily go for testing. This includes the stigma that now faces the people coming out of quarantine and their families, the impact of police terror on innocent people which made them unsympathetic to anything coming from the Government, and more. But the most important question should be, what could we do as a nation to turn the situation around?
The Government is working hard and deserves credit for the success thus far. But I also believe the Ministry of Health needs to rethink their communication strategy from talking down on the public and emphasizing threats and dangers of COVID-19, to making the populace willing participants in the war against the virus. I have seen TV commercials by Bidco and Pwani Oil sanitizers that lean towards this direction, which is great.
Second, the COVID-19 “war council” in the Government needs to understand that by people failing to show up for the tests, the people especially those at risk, are simply acting in their self-interest. In order to win the people over, COVID-19 war strategies must be aligned with the interests of the people that the strategies intend to save. This includes disabusing the quarantine and waiving the fees, and celebrating those who willingly go for the test. Further, the Jane Karuku team that is receiving public donations should be working on a livelihood support programme for the families of the people in quarantine and isolation, so the people feel protected.
These, among other good strategies that am sure God will inspire our good war council to make, will serve to attract people towards testing and treatment, as opposed to pushing them by force. And in just a matter of time, everyone who feels that they might be at risk will come out for testing, and not just once, but as many times as they feel they have been at risk. And in no time, there will be no more reasons for curfews and lock downs and police boots in the streets enforcing policies that people can willingly comply with out of their own interest and for self-preservation.