Hail baba Jayden, a tot of the finest whiskey to you! On the sixth day of the seventh month, Kenyans took to the streets to celebrate the good news. No’ we have not discovered the vaccine! (not that type of good news) You heard your people cry and “ulicheza kama wewe” loosely translates to you did well. Ulitupa Uhuru -that’s freedom in Swahili- You lifted the cessation of movement law; the curfew is still in place for seven hours a night but that’s alright. Folks who were stuck in upcountry still have seventeen hours a day to move into the city and maybe now King kaka can safely say that he strongly feels tukona Uhuru -could be the president or freedom that depends solely on your point of view.
Pay attention to the number of times seven appears in this article, I guess that’s my presidents’ lucky number. Three is my lucky number! It has nothing to do with the fact that, that, is the number of months it took him to lift the cessation of movement into the capital and coastal cities. The million-dollar question however is, What Next Kenya?
Are we ready to mingle and interact? Are we ready to change our way of living and tame our curiosity? Are we ready to not visit our grandparents so that we can keep them safe? Are we willing to spend money on stocking soap and water in our areas of worship, public vehicles, business centers and the open-air markets? Are we finally able to wear a mask or are we still suffocating and losing breath? Do we still think this is a money-making scheme for the greedy government officials or are we waiting for someone we know to die for us to believe there is an enemy within us?
The pandemic cost us more than just freedom of movement, it ruined our economy we saw pay cuts for the lucky ones and job losses for a huge number of people. The lower income bracket was hit hardest, drivers no longer had passengers to ferry and construction workers had nothing constructive to do. There was no coin to spare and trips to the salons and barbers became lesser as Kenyans finally embraced the nashoro look. All of a sudden kinky African hair was the It with the slightly well-off folks buying their own shaving machines and the stylist in almost every African girl finally emerged to take the crown.
Analysts believe the president’s decision is an attempt to right the economy. Of course, with adherence to the Ministry of Health guidelines, most businesses are open once more. Phase reopening of Universities has been authorized and colleges have two more months to build sinks across campus. Which begs the question, these same institutions can not on a normal day provide the students with adequate accommodation how will they navigate the social distancing rule in a dorm room that has six people per cubicle?
Written by Audi K.
©Audi Kawira
The writer is a University student who is passionate in pointing out the specks in our own eyes, dedicated to reminding the broken that Humanity is still Alive, Browbeaten but Alive in this century despite the chaos