COVID-19 in Kenya: Getting Tested

I took the initiative yesterday to test for COVID- 19. Since I have never tested for it before it was a little uncomfortable, with the swab going down the throat and sticking my tongue out, but I think people should get tested if there's such an opportunity, like I did.  

I never planned to test because testing in Kenya now has become way too expensive for locals, going for as much as 30 to 50 dollars, equivalent to 3000 to 5000 Kenya shillings. For one to be tested at major hospitals in Nairobi, you have to part with that amount of money or have a letter form showing clearly why you need to test. 

In my case, I had a letter from the government Ministry of Youth Affairs that indicated that I needed to receive the test since I was to interact with some youths and teach them entrepreneurship and life skills. 

Testing in Kenya is now not free, and the higher fees have actually made it difficult for people who would be willing to avail themselves for the test. This has been attributed to lack of test kits, which has resulted in low numbers of tests nationwide.

Even though Kenya’s COVID- 19 situation is not very different from elsewhere in regard to measures for containment, the registered cases still remain way low and continue to drop today.  According to the Health Ministry, the decrease has been attributed to stringent control measures the government put in place, including measures like mask wearing in public spaces, social distancing, hand washing and hand sanitization.

However, most people in Kenya do not buy into the narrative that COVID cases are reducing because of the containment measures in place, but rather because test kit procurement funds have been swindled by ministry officials, hence no funds for procurement. The issue has become so critical that a number of officials from the government procurement agency, KEMSA (Kenya Medical Supplies Agency), have to be put on compulsory leave to give room for investigation.

Despite the unreliable reporting from the government, hopefully the real number of cases is falling and will continue to do so. The fewer the cases there are, the sooner we can resume normal activities like work and school and the sooner the economy can start to recover. As long as the safety precautions taken thus far are continued, we will get there. The safer we are with masks, social distancing and frequent sanitizing, the sooner we will get there.