Breaking: 14 more Covid19 cases confirmed as Ksh 100M awarded to musicians

Fourteen more people have tested positive for coronavirus, bringing the tally of confirmed cases to 81, the Health Ministry has said today. 7 cases are from Nairobi, 2 from Mombasa, and 1 from Machakos. Additionally, Kisii has reported 1 case, Kiambu also has 1 case, and Mandera- 2 cases.

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe on Wednesday said Nairobi still leads in the number of cases as community transmissions spiked across the country and is listed as red-zones for the virus. This means that the Covid-19 disease is no longer being imported from outside the country but is spreading from one person to another locally.
“This explains why the president took the decison to lock down the 4 counties” CS Kagwe

Yesterday, Kenyan Entertainment Fraternity was beaming with joy and relief after President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday, April 6th ordered the Ministry of Sports, Culture, and Heritage to set aside Ksh 100M for them.
“I direct the Ministry of Sports, Culture, and Heritage to avail Ksh.100M from the Sports Fund to our artistes, actors, and musicians during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic so that they can continue to entertain their fellow brothers and sisters through TV, radio and the internet,” Uhuru said.
In addition, the President boosted the monthly package to 200M for musicians in Kenya.

“Starting this month, all our local artistes will be earning a total of Ksh.200 million per month that will be paid to musicians through the system and other platforms that we have developed. This shall translate this year to over Ksh.2 billion going into the pockets of our young artistes and young Kenyans. These payments will begin this week,” said Kenyatta.

He noted that the new payment of Ksh.2 billion is the pledge the government made in January this year to increase monies paid out to artistes after they received an underwhelming annual pay of Ksh.200 million last year.

However, some Kenyans have questioned Government’s moves with many questioning the timing of the lifeline package for actors and musicians and the priority schedule of the president’s financial relief for Kenyans.
In his speech, President Uhuru did not unveil a new plan for musicians but only chose to honor a much needed pledge made to Musicians during this Covid19 pandemic.
The Government has continued to mobilize resources to the Health Ministry docket for health workers who are on the front line in fighting Covid19. More than Sh 2B has been raised after DCI and Cooperative Bank among others donated money for Covid19 emergency fund.

Many health workers in the Country are in need of Personal Protective gear or PPE to effectively handle the virus- and the infected that has claimed over 50,000 people all over the world among them 6 Kenyans who have died.

Additionally, the government mandated every Kenyan to acquire facemasks at their own cost.
At the break of the pandemic in March in Kenya, the Government initially responded with travel bans and flight restrictions. As coronavirus cases have climbed, Kenya implemented social distancing measures – including travel lock-downs on 4 counties (Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale, and Nairobi Metropolitan Area), and 7PM-5AM National curfew – to try and contain the spread within the borders.

Most urban informal settlements in Kenya do not have proper access to food, clean public water and electricity with over 80 percent of Kenyans living in less than a Dollar daily. Some argue that it will be much prudent for the government to curb the financial devastation of COVID-19 by broad fund stimulus packages to cushion the economy or make cash transfers directly to the people.
Kenya’s economy was already struggling before Covid19, and that may impact the speed of the government’s response in to essential demands made by Kenyans.