A father of two who has traversed 14 counties on a bicycle to raise awareness about Coronavirus today lamented about the increasing trend where Kenyans are slowly dropping their guard about the pandemic.
Fredrick Ochieng, who embarked on a more than 2,500-kilometre journey from Moyale on the Kenya/Ethiopia border on August 6, 2020 said though the virus was still a threat, his observation while traversing the counties had shown that very few Kenyans were putting on masks appropriately.
He was speaking in Siaya town today when he arrived in the county from Kisumu enroute to Busia, the final destination of the gruelling journey.
Ochieng, riding an ordinary bicycle has already traversed Marsabit, Samburu, Isiolo, Meru, Laikipia, Nyeri, Murang’a, Kiambu, Nairobi, Nakuru, Kericho and Kisumu counties.
He reiterated the need for Kenyans to adhere to the Ministry of Health guidelines and not to wait for law enforcement agencies to threaten them with arrest.
“During my journey, I have realised that in a place like Marsabit, the people there have masks but only put them on when they see the police while in Isiolo County, social distancing is the problem,” he said.
In Siaya and Kisumu, Ochieng said people seem to have largely stopped walking with masks as the number of those without a mask appeared high.
He said that even public service vehicles appeared not to observe basic Covid-19 rules, especially the laws on the number of passengers carried.
Ochieng hailed the government, especially the national government administrators in the counties he traversed for the moral support they accorded him.
By Philip Onyango
