Counties urge residents to stay at home as COVID-19 cases increases

Sugarcane Farmers in Kakamega are worried for their cane’s fate
during this harvesting time, as coronavirus spread continue to surge the
country.

The farmers appealed to both the county and national
government to look for an alternative way of ensuring that the disease is
contained from affecting the daily routine, to keep their produce supply to the
market.

“Should the government declare total lock down in the country
due to COVID-19 pandemic, our sugarcane will dry and turn to firewood, which
will be a great loss to us farmers and the entire country,” said one of the
farmers

They lo urged sugar companies to collaborate with the
government and ensure that all measures to curb the disease are in place, to
avoid events that may lead to closure, which will also lead to loses.

The added that their investments in the canes are much,
which cannot afford any loss at the moment, after waiting for more than a year
to reap its profits.

The number of cases with coronavirus in the country
continues to increase, with health CS Mutahi Kagwe confirming on Monday that
the country has recorded first local case, summing up the number to 16.

The government insists that practising hygiene such as
hand-washing and embracing the social distance rule will help limit the spread of
the virus.

It has also called upon employers to facilitate healthy
working condition for their employees, including working-at-home condition,
where possible.

However, this prove impossible for many companies that
requires machine operations like sugar companies, which may end up shutting
down the operations should the country run into a complete lock down.

Report compiled by David Khayumbi, News 9 Kenya Corresponded