While announcing the ‘lockdown’, the President used war imagery just like other leaders. Just like in a war, the long term effect and the world that we will wake up to after the virus is history will be the same if it had been for ‘World III’. Just like in war, plunders are made while the masses and their leaders are scared and switches to survival mode. When they finally realize that they should not have been as scared, the country will be ours but only in name. This is what we must be alive to and inform us to act not as victims but as intelligent and capable Africans!
To a keen eye, if you follow the money flows, new laws, new international alliances and coordination a pattern seems to be emerging.
Could the recent meeting with AU leaders where French President made a presentation have influenced the more severe restrictive movement in Kenya? In that meeting, Business Daily reported that this agreement was made.
“…trade corridors in a spirit of African solidarity and integration and agreed to establish continental ministerial COORDINATION committees on HEALTH, FINANCE and TRANSPORT in order to support the comprehensive continental strategy.”
Our (Africa) willingness for emerging coordonation in the face of our disadvantaged position should be informed accordingly. You can be tricked to sign a consent but you can sign it after getting all the information i.e. Informed Consent. The easy credit facilities, donations, lifting of sanctions and possible debt forgiveness or loan holiday, from East or West to Africa, should be seen as inducements. Big Question, what’s in it for those offering these? Different put, why are we quick to beg for help instead of focusing on the effective tools in our possession? Is it prudent to ask for help from a surgeon to fix your hernia when you know that he is known to harvest people’s kidney for sale in the organ black market?
The fear which is inspiring measures that will decimate the Kenyan economy to a warlike status regarding COVID-19 is unfounded. Undoubtedly, some will regrettably die but majority as has been evidenced by consistent outcomes in Kenya will survive and their symptoms will be very mild. As I have advised in other articles, our outcomes cannot be like Italy or U.S. because our nation’s comobidities burden is starkly different. Likewise, our measures should be different. So, why are we afraid of a disease whose effect for most people does not leave you with any disability, physiological dysfunction or long-term defects? The CS himself said yesterday of getting COVID-19 ” it’s a not a death sentence.” I must reaterate here that the disease is real and we must do all we can to protect the elderly and those currently suffering from other acute or chronic illnesses. But as authoritatively echoed, the disease is not a death sentence.
By the way, to isolate healthcare workers because they tested positive while not manifesting any symptoms will amount to a self inflicted fatal wound. We will compound an already complicated situation. Thinking of a scenario where ALL healthcare workers turns positive should guide our protocol to be followed. I don’t think anyone is about to isolate all healthcare workers?
We should never make long-term decision or commitments in the face of temporary crisis. We should never make hasty half-thought decisions even in a crisis.
It’s in a crisis especially one that resembles war-time that we should stay most alert. Logical and critical thinking that calls us to focus beyond our stomachs sometimes is dismissed as conspiracy theory. To be positive should not be misconstrued as the ability to ignore consequential danger, even as we tackle the more immenent ones. As I see it, it’s the ability to have hope in the face of danger while attempting to free yourself and maintaining a bigger picture perspective while at it.
If my neighbor owns a gun and stocks up on ammunition to defend himself, it will be foolhardy for me to do likewise if I didn’t own a gun.
However, well meaning the current measures are, they fail to comprehend our population profile and the benefits there in of youthful and healthy nation. This understanding should prevent us from simply APING others. We should tailor our measures accordingly. The measures I advise are contained in the article, “Youth is not Immunity, Buts It’s Our Only Stimulus Package”
The current measures will leave us a tattered economy. Watch for massive transfer of wealth and asset ownership from Kenyans to non-Kenyans. I urge sober Kenyans and leaders to observe the structure of newly injected capital. If new debt can be converted to equity, it will happen and ownership will switch hands under the radar. This will be a megers and aquisition bonanza necessitated by severe financial distress that will be experienced by Kenyan held SMEs. Watch for new entrants in the market empowered by a very weak Shilling and an economy in ICU where remaining local competition will only be staggering towards bankruptcy or relegated to rehab permanently.
While we hanker down, we will wake up in a territory that’s is ours in name only because we failed to stay alert. It’s called SHOCK and AWE strategy.
We can prevent it if we are sober and alert.
Written by Robert Mwangi, Bsc. Nursing, MBA- Finance. Author of the book DOLLAR ALTAR
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'Awe and alert' is already happening under our moustache but we are not just aware of it, the real estate industry was already feeling sick even before the entrance of covid 19. The flower industry as it stands now it's on its knees struggling for mere survival., This was a well orchestrated plot to take over our economies. Kenya will jump at any opportunity that offer relief for the overwhelming Chinese loans and Grant's, its just a matter of time. I am fully aware and is getting convinced each day that corona is an immunity disease just like common cold or flu hence the most people at risk will be the persons with low immunity orchestrated maybe by other diseases they might have for instance HIV, TB or HBP as you forementioned. From my interaction with you I am also quite aware of how most of out organs work especially the heart and lungs and I can say with a certain level of confidence that majority of us will survive by simply adhering to social distancing and hand washing hygiene not forgetting wearing masks. This is the situation the government should be alive to so as not to enter into shoddy deals which we go into in an already disadvantaged position. They will be looking at out strong youth and manpower in rebuilding their fallen economies when the situation changes and I'm afraid we will have fewer choices or no choice at all driven by our hunger pangs and poverty. It is a sad state of affairs given our prefects are oblivious to our strengths and opportunities to put their best foot forward into such dealings. They will be drooling over more opportunities for them to loot and continue living in a state of paranoia that all is well with their sugar coated hypothalamus. Am afraid it has already happened.