Panic grips Mombasa as covid-19 cases sharply rise

Reuben Mwambingu @reubenmwambingu

Panic has gripped Mombasa after Ministry of Health’s daily Covid-19 updates yesterday confirmed that the cases have spread in four of the six sub-counties.

In her briefing on Sunday, Health Chief Administrative Secretary  Dr Mercy Mwangangi said the situation in Mombasa is not any better with  Nyali leading with 11 cases, Mvita seven, Kisauni seven and Changamwe two.

“Na kule ndani Nyali, karibu kila kona kuna kesi ya Korona,(In Nyali almost every corner there is a case of coronavirus),” she said.

Crowded slums

The cases in Nyali  are spread from the crowded slum settlements of Maweni in Kongowea to the up markets of Nyali in Mamba and Tamarind villages.

Out of the 11 cases two are reported in Bamburi, while areas of beach road, Mamba village, Mogadishu, Tamarind area in Mkomani, Maweni Kongowea, Twiga road and Umoja have one case each.

While life in the mentioned areas appeared to be going on normal before yesterday’s announcement, interviewed residents expressed their fears with the mounting situation saying there was need for government to step up measures of curbing further spread in the mentioned areas.

“I never  imagined that the situation would escalate this fast  but now I think we need to be more cautious.

For the past three to four months we have been following the situation on TV but now it is at our door steps,” said Joab Omondi, a bodaboda rider from Maweni area.

Nyali MP Mohammed Ali spent the better part of the weekend distributing free face masks to residents, while his Kisauni counterpart has been distributing foodstuff to area constituents.