The Government of Kenya respected the silence on Saturday, which President Uhuru Kenyatta wanted to dedicate to prayer. An appeal taken up by all the religious communities harmoniously present in the country, from Catholics represented in large numbers by the majority of citizens, to Protestants who are also in large numbers, to Muslims (about 12% in Kenya) and Hindus, as well as some tribes that still profess to be animist.
All the united Kenyans yesterday addressed prayers to their God to ask Him to avoid the scourge of the Coronavirus to the already decimated populations of equatorial Africa.
In the meantime, however, the institutions are working to try to stem the emergency caused by the many suspicious cases recorded in the country and to ensure correct information on the progress of the containment measures.
Yesterday for the first time the Minister of Health Mutahi Kagwe did not speak out, and normally there were many "rumors". There would be new cases but also a lot of negative tests.
Even the "bodaboda operators", i.e. motorcycle taxis or "bajaj" as they are called because of the best-selling brand of 125cc (Indian) motorcycles used for public transport, have gathered in Nairobi, at long distances, to pray and receive the government's instructions on the conduct to be used. Until now, everywhere we still see the bodabodas carrying one or more passengers, without any precautions and this could be a real "vehicle" of contagion.
From tomorrow matatu and bus will be called to respect the rules of thinning their passenger fleet, up to a maximum of half of them. For the bodabodas, an ad hoc decree is expected in the next few hours. In the meantime, some parliamentarians have asked for a total blockade of citizens in the country, as happened in Italy and in other countries affected on a large scale by Covid19.
President Kenyatta is thinking about it but for now this hypothesis remains on stand-by.
As Kagwe announced at last Friday's press conference, Kenya will have to spend the most difficult week and then it will be clear whether radical decisions will be needed, such as the deployment of the army to enforce quarantine and prevent the opening of premises after 7.30 p.m., or continue with containment and restrictive measures.