Some good news in all of the Covid-19 related upheaval was recently announced, with the arrival of 40,000 test kits in Kenya. This delivery came alongside other much needed medical equipment, including ventilators as well as personal protective gear.
As the numbers of infected and dead citizens continues to rise, the arrival of such vital equipment becomes all the more important. This is especially true regarding Covid-19 test kits, which are critical for the execution of the planned mass testing recently announced by the government.
As can be seen from headlines around the globe, protective and medical equipment is in extremely short supply everywhere. They are being aggressively pursued by health authorities from almost every country, who have been on a global hunt to secure life-saving material. Many were therefore surprised to see our own government’s notable success in procuring such a significant amount of these goods.
The arrival of much of the gear was the product of the relationships our government maintains with the private sector. Specifically, the newly arrived test kits were the result of a donation made by Chinese e-commerce billionaire Jack Ma, a personal friend of President Uhuru Kenyatta. This is the second such donation made by the Chinese billionaire to aid our country in our hour of need.
When crisis strikes, personal relationships are indeed paramount. Such relationships with individuals, as well as private sector companies, are a crucial element in enabling our country to curb the spread of this invisible enemy. As Uhuru recently stated, “We want to thank Jack Ma who has donated testing kits and other equipment to support us in this battle. We are and we will remain ahead of the curve in the ongoing war because of his generosity”.
The unique nature of the Covid-19 pandemic is in the way it has attacked countries across the globe, sparing almost nobody, rich or poor, from its path of destruction. While our international relationships with other states are as strong as they have ever been, each state must first and foremost ensure the well-being of its own citizens. The US for example, usually a major supplier of medical equipment to Kenya, has instructed companies, such as Pfizer and Abbot to prioritise American states in need, over exports.
This is unfortunate but understandable. The Bible does after all teach us that we must help our family before strangers. However, this further underscores the importance of personal relationships, with further assistance received from a long list of connections established through the efforts of our president. These include the CEO’s of multinationals such as Google, Amazon and Microsoft.
It is these relationships which will enable the government to implement Uhuru’s plan to test as many citizens as possible. The underlying logic of this approach, spearheaded by CS Mutahi Kagwe, is simple. By testing as many people as possible, including those who feel perfectly fine, we will better be able to identify those asymptomatic carriers that risk unknowingly transmitting the virus to others. This is very much in line with guidelines received from the World Health Organisation Director General, that very clearly conveyed this saying, “We have a simple message for all countries — test, test, test”.
Without testing, there is no way of knowing who might be a carrier. While a history of international travel was an early indicator of who might be at risk, many of the most recent carriers identified had no history whatsoever of international travel. Similarly, socioeconomic status has no impact on how at risk one is to contract the virus. The virus does not distinguish between rich and poor, tribe or gender. All are at risk and must be tested. Further supplies, which according to government officials are already on the way, will make this possible.
Until testing is possible, and even after testing negative, the only way to contain the virus is by abiding by government regulations. These include staying home when possible, and if needing to go out, wearing a mask and maintaining the required social distance.
Friends of Kenya around the world have our backs in our time of need. We have our president to thank for establishing these friendships, which will prove instrumental in testing as many citizens as possible and eventually, winning the war on Covid-19.
40
