NAIROBI, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Mwanzia Syombua packs her fresh produce in a white crate taking care not to smash ripe tomatoes against the flesh cabbages.
He does this hastily to beat the 7 p.m. curfew the Kenyan government imposed last week to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
Syombua and other residents of Kangundo, a small town located at the heart of eastern Kenyan county of Machakos, have been forced to adjust their work schedules and sustain their livelihoods in the wake of the highly contagious viral respiratory disease.
Here, many of them are self-employed either running small businesses or working in nearby farms as casual laborers.
A curfew was the last thing many could think of and now every day is a race to beat the dusk to dawn deadline that has since been enforced to mitigate against the spread of COVID-19.
"Most of the residents here depend on a daily wage; some attend to other people's farms and get paid while others will fetch water for a few coins. That is how the population here fends for itself," Syombua, a vegetable vendor told Xinhua in an interview on Thursday.
On a normal day, many people could be seen tilling the sprawling farms, but the numbers have reduced significantly as owners adhere to social distancing guidelines announced by the central government. That means the few laborers have to work for longer hours.
"This is a planting season and farmers are sourcing for a small number of people to work on their farms, I currently have two women working in my farm, a contrast from last year when I had five," said Syombua.
The transport sector, in particular, has seen motorbikes popularly known as "bodaboda" being controlled as they pose a health risk, said Machakos County governor, adding that this sector that employs many youths could accelerate the spread of the Coronavirus.
"We cannot lie to ourselves that we are protecting ourselves and yet we are using motorbikes where people sit close to each other," said Alfred Mutua, the governor, Machakos County.
The open-air markets have also witnessed reduced traffic as vendors keep off crowded places over COVID-19 jitters. The few traders bringing their wares to the markets are spaced out in the vicinity.
For them, this is a good move by the county government, which has also provided handwashing water points as a precautionary measure amid risk of contracting the disease.
Supermarkets and shops have provided their customers with water and soap while some investors have gone an extra mile to educate their clients on COVID-19 in the local language in order to ease understanding of the pandemic.
Local entertaining spots popular with the youths in the small rural towns have been temporarily closed rendering students idle in the wake of unprecedented school closure.
The students who spoke to Xinhua unanimously agreed that the most ideal way of keeping the disease at bay is through social distancing.
Last week Kangundo town had a scare when a patient who exhibited coronavirus-like symptoms died in a hospital. A rigorous test turned negative hence putting wild speculations to rest.
Besides Machakos, other Kenyan counties are also upscaling their preparedness to deal with the pandemic and avert a crisis witnessed in other parts of the world.
The coastal city of Mombasa that is a strategic gateway to the wider eastern African region, has put in place solid measures to strengthen response to COVID-19 pandemic.
Ali Hassan Joho, the Mombasa county governor directed the closure of nightclubs a day after the first positive case in the country was announced.
Joho also announced that hospital visits would be restricted to two immediate family members and suspended prison visits to ward off the risk of COVID-19 transmission in the port city.
Residents of the tourism hub have also resolved to adhere to respiratory hygiene as the virus moves to community transmission stage.
The users of a ferry that link Mombasa Island to the south coast have also taken up handwashing with gusto in order to prevent the spread of the respiratory disease.
Public service vehicles too have slashed the number of passengers on board as they also provide hand rub sanitizers to their clients as directed by the government.
The local community, however, continues to feel the burden of fare hikes amid an economic downturn triggered by COVID-19 that has claimed three lives in Kenya and infected 110 individuals since the first case was reported on March 13.
Public awareness campaigns that have been rolled out by the county government of Mombasa seeks to penetrate the informal settlements with a strong message on hygiene and social responsibility to prevent a chain of transmission.
"There is a need to scale-down on the things we normally do on a day-to-day for the purpose of dealing with the virus," said Joho.
