Corona and Curfews

A few curfew-related thoughts, especially as it starts to be implemented tonight. Besides those who are not taking it seriously (who we, in turn will NOT take seriously), there are some considerations we need to make to keep safe, and keep on the right side of the law. Here are a few:

1. First and most important: if you do not need to be out of your home, then stay home. There are vanishingly few important things that should take you away from your home. These are food shopping and medical care (including, say, picking up essential medicines). This is not the time to inspect your mjengo, or say hello to Amina’s new baby. There will be time to do all these post-Corona. And don’t forget that every interaction is a potential opportunity to pick up the virus. STAY HOME.

There are those, however, who need to move around. Those in the defined essential services and a few others. Those need to pay attention to the suggestions below:

2. We have not had a nationwide curfew since 1982, if my memory serves me correctly. Thus very few of us have an accurate personal memory of what a curfew looks and feels like. Do not, then, make assumptions that may not bear out in the cold reality of this curfew environment. Take more precautions than the rules say. What does this mean?

3. Do not assume that 5:00 a.m. is 5:00 a.m., and 7:00 p.m. is 7:00 p.m. Let me illustrate. Say it takes you fifteen minutes from the shops to your house. Do not, then assume that you will leave the shops at exactly 6:45 and be at your door at exactly 7:00 p.m. Patrols could start earlier. You may be delayed by unforeseen factors. Play it safe.

4. Even if you yourself are OK, please think through everyone you depend on to accomplish your day-to-day tasks. If you have an external domestic worker, please release them early so that they can beat the curfew. Same applies for drivers, for those of you who have them, security guards and the like.

5. It is inevitable that public service vehicles (matatus, taxis, buses and motorcycles) will adjust their working hours. Do not assume that the last bus will finish working at exactly 7:00 p.m. After all, the crew will need to safely park the vehicle and make THEIR own way home. And if this is the case, it will mean that the last vehicles will have huge demand, even as they have to enforce lower capacity because of social distancing rules. So if you try to be clever and assume you will catch a mathree (or even a nduthi) at 6:30 p.m. to make it home on time, you may be very unpleasantly surprised.

6. If you are in essential services and thus in transit at the beginning and the end of the day, please insist that your employer gives you proper guidelines, including working hours and the rest. If you are an employer (including as in (4) above) try and develop those guidelines and share them with staff. Listen to them, as they may have unexpected complications including travel time and the rest.

7. Stock up on essential medicines, including fever relievers (especially if you have young children in your household), anti-diarrhoea medicine, pain relievers and such. You will not be able to dash to the chemist around the corner (which will be closed anyway) or the clinic down the road. I am not sure what the provision for emergency care (including rushing someone to hospital) is, but this is not the time to take chances, if it is not fully necessary.

8. Exercise patience and understanding during this period. Everyone, including the security officers, is anxious, and we all need to give each other the space to get through this time, which we hope is brief, successfully.

9. Do not forget why this is being done. It is to slow down transmission of the virus in as successful a way as possible without fully shutting down the country. If this is not successful, or if we try to become our usual wajanja Kenyans, more drastic measures will be announced.

10. Do not invite your ex to visit you at 6:45 p.m. Do not accept an invite from your ex for a visit starting at 6:45 p.m. Or do, but we will not be responsible for the kwensekwenses.