Discipline in fighting virus is for all of us

Discipline is turning out to be a preserve of poor people.

The last three months has seen the adoption of concepts like social distancing and wearing face masks as part of everyday life. All these are to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus.

Furthermore, we’re adjusting ourselves to living in isolation despite our nature as social beings. It’s not been an easy change and neither has it been without consequences on people’s health and livelihoods. Additional measures like the stay-at-home orders, ban on public gatherings, night curfew and restrictions on movement into and out of the Nairobi metropolitan area, Mombasa, Kwale and Kilifi counties have equally compounded these consequences.

From the onset, it seemed as though each and every Kenyan was expected to adhere to these measures.

For example, when the government first issued orders banning any kind of public gatherings, there were several raids and arrests carried out to ensure those who defied these measures didn’t get away with their defiance.

From Runda, where 12 people were caught drinking beer at a private residence, and Ruai Gardens in Embakasi Central where a member of Parliament was among 18 people arrested, to Nyayo Estate, where eight people holding a birthday party were arrested, and Land Mawe in Industrial Area where 10 people, including five police officers, were found hiding in a bar whilst drinking were arrested, it was clear that these measures were for everyone, irrespective of social status.

 However, the past weeks have shown that the discipline in following these very measures and their enforcement have slowly grown into a burden of the majority poor, while politicians and those with social capital gather freely without any consequence.

To make it worse, these leaders are seen defying movement restrictions, social-distancing protocols as they improperly wear their masks and host crowds as if there are no legal measures against their actions. And it seems as though there is no intention of stopping them.

Why is the blatant disregard of health measures among the elite being condoned by the Ministry of Health? Why is social class accepted as a reason to publicly defy these measures?

This is not the time for double standards by allowing individuals who should be leading by example to violate global health measures and risk the lives of Kenyans who already struggle with existing vulnerabilities. To be disciplined during this time and doing the right thing regarding the coronavirus shouldn’t be a topic for debate.

Scheafer Okore is a policy analyst;