Mudavadi tells government : Ensure citizens don’t die from the virus or famine

8 April 2020

EASTER MESSAGE: WIN OVER THE PEOPLE IN WAR AGAINST CORONAVIRUS(Covid-19)

1. I wish to extend my greetings and message of goodwill to my fellow Kenyans, throughout the country and beyond, in this Season of Easter.
2. I want to remember in a very special way my Christian brothers and sisters, for whom Easter is full of meaning and significance. In our Christian calendar, Easter reminds us of the passion of Christ. It underscores the element of personal sacrifice and compassion for others. There is no greater sacrifice that one person should put down his life for the rest.
3. This year’s Easter season has found us in a truly hard place. The entire global community is at a terrible crossroads. The world has come to a standstill, as a factor of the dreaded coronavirus disease (Covid-19). The usual celebration that has traditionally gone with Easter is not possible this time. Instead, this year’s Easter is a season of quiet prayer, reflection and meditation. We are isolated in individual spaces, without the normal worship, celebration and fellowships with our families and friends.
4. So far, the Government has given us useful guidelines which, if followed, should minimize the risk that the virus has exposed us to. Ring-fencing of the counties of Nairobi, Mombasa, Kwale and Kilifi from the rest of the country is only one of the latest of such measures. Naturally, it is painful. It is going to bring many things to a standstill over the next three weeks, at the very least. Yet this is part of the price we must pay in pursuit of the greater goal of saving our country from the scourge of coronavirus.
5. Without the need to delve into the details of the rest of the measures, I join the voices urging Kenyans to strictly follow the guidelines that have been given. This is good for us individually, for our friends and families, and for our country. Please let us all abide by the guidelines.
6. The barring of movement into and out of Nairobi has no doubt caught many people off guard. Certainly, we cannot downplay the risk posed by unchecked movement of persons into and out of the Nairobi Metropolitan Area. Yet, I think, there is merit in re-examining the cases of persons whose families have been stalled, with potential harmful effects, by the suddenness of this closure.
7. There are underage children whose parents have been caught on the wrong side of the divide. A parent who had travelled to Nyeri or Embu, for instance, may not have had the opportunity to get back to Nairobi before the sudden clampdown took effect. There is merit in asking about the impact of keeping such a person away from her family or her children – and who may not have anybody else to look after them. I urge the Government to find a way of sieving these cases so that we do not generate new problems because of the way we are managing the challenge.
8. I also urge the Government to strive for more clarity in policy and in its communications. A few weeks ago, H. E. the President, Uhuru Kenyatta, directed government entities to clear all outstanding payments within three weeks of the communication. This directive was received with great relief by various suppliers to both the National and County Governments. The ink had hardly dried on the paper on which the directive was written, when the controller of budget issued another directive, effectively cancelling the President’s earlier communication. In her communication of 31 March 2020, Dr. Margaret Nyakango, the Controller of Budget, stopped all payments by the State, except salaries. This is both confusing and painful to suppliers. I urge the Government to revisit this matter and to issue one clear statement – a statement that is sensitive to the plight of suppliers.
9. Elsewhere, the food situation is worrying. State sources have now confirmed my earlier concerns, expressed two weeks ago, that strategic food reserves are very low. Without causing undue alarm, I urge the Government to prioritize staple food availability; for if the coronavirus pandemic goes arm in arm with famine, the outcome will be a catastrophe. The emergency team that has been established to manage the coronavirus situation will, hopefully, ensure that vulnerable populations do not succumb to either the virus, or to famine.
10. Related to food stocks is food crop production. I highlighted two weeks ago the need to ensure that the country does not lose this farming season. I repeat this for the sake of the necessary emphasis. We are not hearing much about this in the various briefs from the State. Farmers cannot be left to their own fate. The Government must get involved – it must monitor and support each stage in the farming cycle in the country’s food basket zones.
11. Many other sectors have also been hit. Clearly, this is one of the most difficult times to be in charge of Government – and it is with a lot of empathy that I am making these remarks. The future of education is in limbo. The economy is taking a hit as we watch the shilling slide against major international currencies by the day. Unemployment is on the rise. There is a general sense of hopelessness and helplessness in the country. Managing these crises requires that the Government wins over the people and travels with them. You often get the impression that the two are pulling in different directions. The onus is on the Government to win the trust of the people and rally them fully behind the war against Covid-19. Loss of the people’s confidence could have catastrophic outcomes.

H. E. Musalia Mudavadi, EGH
ANC PARTY LEADER