The Kenyan government has set up mandatory quarantines all over the country as part of measures to curb the spread of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), however, these quarantine stations have been termed as incubation chambers for the virus.
Such is the case with one of the quarantine centers, set up at Kaplelach Secondary School in Soy Constituency, Eldoret. The police are bundling curfew flouters together with area residents found without facemasks in the center and classifying them as suspect COVID- 19 cases.
The living conditions inside the centers are below par, quarantined residents are not observing the social distancing. There is no decent food and due to the large numbers, one bed is assigned to 3 people.
These Kenyans have not even been provided with mattresses and are sleeping on the cold metal bed frames, cold showers, dirty toilets, the quarantine facility is not equipped with any essentials, including sanitizers that are supposed to stop the spread of the disease.
Residents at the facility argue that they are more exposed here than at home.
This comes even as the government warns that anybody found flouting the directives put in place will be placed in the same full quarantine centers. “From now onwards, all those who will break the curfew rules will be assumed to have been in contact with suspected cases, hence will be quarantined for a period of 14 days” Health Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Dr, Mercy Mwangangi stated on Sunday.
“ We will crack the whip on anyone found endangering the lives of fellow Kenyans for selfish gains and I urge Kenyans to undertake basic due diligence on the face masks they are buying so that they do not fall victim to the criminals,” she said.
