Dear Mr. President,

Yesterday evening (26th March, 2021) I was at a restaurant in a meeting with friends. Before leaving, the waitress, who I had never met before, came and whispered to me, “Sasa vile president amefunga, please nitafutie tu job.”

I could see pain, agony and confusion written all over her face. But I did not even know how to reply. I imagined how many thousands of jobs had been lost in the hospitality industry alone, and I was lost for words.

We are headed to Easter period. Hotels in Mombasa, Masai Mara, Amboseli and other major tourist attractions in the country were almost fully-booked. Students had just gone back to school. Most businesses had started paying or already paid 2021 county single business permits, licences, and levies among other taxes. Majority of Kenyans had just started adjusting their lives and learning to live with COVID.

Mr. President, the worst calamity in the life of any human being is hunger. Where we are as Kenyans, majority are not worried about rent, investments, clothes, etc. They are wondering where their next meal will come from. People are shuttered, stressed, broken and confused. The pain of parents seeing their kids sleep or spend a day hungry is unbearable. Unfortunately, that is where we are.

I fully understand your situation. If you do it is bad, if you don’t it is worse. Thank you for the measures you have taken so far in the past one year. Maybe if you didn’t, things would be worse.

However Mr. President, things are thick down here. Wanjiku, Otieno, Ali among others are lost. They are not even sure of tomorrow. Ni kubaya. Please understand us. This corona is taking away the basic decency of human beings. We understand you and we have complied in the past, but please rescue us before it is too late. Suicides, homicides and crimes will rise if we don’t act fast.

I know there is COVID. Thethird wave is lethal. But Mr. President, we don’t ask for much, just enable us to live. Please, nothing more.

In my opinion, I suggest the following so that we can fight this pandemic but still afford the basics of life:-

i. Lift the nationwide curfew. Before asking me why, see number (ii) below;

ii. Allow all restaurants to sell takeaway meals and alcohol from 10am up to 6pm. Any bar that violates this rule should face immediate and permanent closure. If bars are closed, very few people will be out at night;

iii. End the cessation of movement. Businessmen need to travel to Nairobi to get their wares. Mr. President, ceding movement into and from Nairobi is like blocking the pulmonary artery;

iv. Instruct treasury to review VAT and other taxes to the least possible. The cost of fuel alone is making every other product get very expensive;

v. Increase fines for non-adherence to the rules set for managing the Corona virus. For instance, failure to wear a mask in public should attract a fine as high as Ks. 20,000;

vi. Allow public transport vehicles whose journeys do not take more than 1 hour approximately to carry full capacity but every vehicle must have sanitizer, passengers have masks at all times, etc;

vii. Read the Riot Act to every OCS that any breach of the rules within their jurisdiction will attract heavy disciplinary actions including but not limited to dismissal;

viii. CBK and treasury should engage banks to have loans reviewed and also increase loans available to SME immediately. We need liquidation in the country;

ix. Compel telecommunication companies to lower internet, Wi-Fi and calls charges to enable those who can to work from home easily;

x. Any other measure that will save the man on the ground.

Mr. President, I am no expert. In fact, I am just very small to you, but please rescue us.

WE CAN’T BREATH!

Humble Kenyan,

Robert Githire.