Kenyans on Twitter but better known as KoT are unhappy with remarks made by Tana River governor Dhadho Godhana.
According to the county chief, residents in quarantine facilities will henceforth be required to carry their own beddings and make arrangements with family members on how to get food.
Speaking to journalists, Godhana said the county government will only provide beds, security and sanitization materials.
“We do not have mattresses in the quarantine areas we have picked. Most of the students travelled home with their materials. Therefore, each individual has to meet some costs,” he said.
He also warned that those caught violating curfew orders and other government set measures will be quarantined for 21 days instead of the stipulated 14 days.
Further, he noted, those put in quarantine from the diaspora will receive beddings available at KMTC.
This did not sit well with netizens who thought it would be cheaper for the coronavirus victims to be quarantined at home.
Others thought the governor’s comments were reckless.
Here are some of their thoughts:
What's the need of being quarantined in public facilities if you are to come with beddings and food?
If it's cutting the cost, let the authorities lock us in our houses, with the basic needs therein 4 14 days
For me quarantine in #Kenya is a #SCAM.@MigunaMiguna@RadioCitizenFM— @SirKenneth (@SirKenneth_) April 28, 2020
But the national government is able to send kshs 2000 to vulnerable families as stipends. I hope the residents of Tana River county remember this man's words in the next election
— Mosoin🕷 (@ArapMosoin) April 28, 2020
Elites stole everything, they have nothing to provide to their citizens, no one can tell the subjects what's the role they will play in the crisis and how much it will cost the taxpayers.
This is why you hear all weird things from this leaders.— Abdikarim (@Abdikar77217532) April 28, 2020
This governor of my county is useless. How can you tell those poor people to carry their own bed and food. Guys, people from that county eat once in a day because nothing is their .. Hyo county kila MTU n Maskini.
Reckless idea— Hîs Excélleñcy Azên🇰🇪🇵🇸 (@AzenExcellency) April 28, 2020
This strategy will make contacts (suspects) escape from quarantine centers and hence a disaster to the country. I don't buy the idea coz the cost of feeding people in isolation should not be a very big issue to the country.
— jimz (@Jimmy_Ebong) April 28, 2020
Carry food for the 14 days? Pray tell, should they carry a stove, jiko to cook the food? Cutlery too? Soap to do the dishes? Guess they need buckets to wash their beddings too, huh!? Wait, I know, why not just stay at home then???. https://t.co/snqYDW0Mzh
— Yvonne Okwara (@YvonneOkwara) April 28, 2020
Last week, activist Okiya Omtatah moved to court seeking to have the government pushed to refund those it quarantined and forced to pay for their upkeep.
“In addition, some individuals in such quarantine have had their period of compulsory quarantine un-procedurally and unfairly extended, contrary to the provisions of the Fair Administrative Action Act, 2015 ,” the petition read.
He argued that the government should foot the persons’ bills. This he said contravened Section 27 of the Public Health Act, and with it the constitutional imperative of the rule of law under Articles 10 and 47(1) of the Constitution.
In Mombasa, the county government is paying for the upkeep of quarantined persons.
“We will isolate and treat them at our own cost,” health CEC Hazel Koitaba said.
There are 363 reported cases of COVID-19 in Kenya.
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