NAIROBI, Kenya, May 21- Deputy President William Ruto has reiterated the government’s commitment to assist vulnerable Kenyans affected by COVID-19 which has so far infected more than 1,000 people.
Ruto said in addition to relief supplies, plans are underway to come up with a broad-based plan that will facilitate the country’s rapid recovery from the disease.
“Anybody who can afford an extra meal should make it available for their neighbors, for the person next door,” he said on a tour to a farm in Kiambu on Wednesday, “no one expected it, no one planned for it and we don’t know what will happen in the near future.”
He was speaking after distributing food to families in Nacho area where he also inspected the construction of Marengeta Dam.
“We are here for a while as the country. The numbers are going up and therefore, we must be vigilant and adhere to the government’s directives so that we minimize the effects of coronavirus,” said Ruto.
Majority of Kenyans are suffering and struggling to even afford a meal a day since the pandemic began in March.
Many of them and especially casual laborers lost their jobs prompting the government to offer weekly stipend of Sh2000 to the most vulnerable people especially those who live in informal settlements.
COVID-19 cases in Kenya rose to 1,029 Wednesday, crossing the 1000-mark even as the government intensified efforts to prevent a further spread of the infections nationally.
Infections in the country have been increasing daily, since mid March when the first case was confirmed on a student who had arrived in from the US through the UK.
Among the measures in place to combat the infections is a dusk to dawn curfew imposed by President Uhuru Kenyatta, countrywide, and cessation of movement in and out of Eastleigh, a densely populated suburb in the capital Nairobi, Mombasa’s Old Town area and Mandera in northern Kenya that borders with Somalia.
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