Last night, Friday, March 27th, the curfew throughout Kenya, imposed as part of the anti-contage prevention measures by Covid19 by the Kenyan Government, began. From 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. the entire population will have to stay at home or in any case will not be found around, on pain of arrest as well as verbal and often physical warnings from the police.
Those who know Africa and its people expected that there would be unrest on the first evening.
In reality in the country, in spite of this unprecedented situation, even if by now sadly popular for the news that also here comes from the world, there was in general an excellent response.
The biggest problems occurred in Likoni, a town on the outskirts of Mombasa known to be the berth of the ferry service that connects the Kenyan island town to the south coast that goes towards the border with Tanzania.
But Likoni is also a street trading center frequented by many commuters who use the ferry in the morning and evening.
Here many people, especially many street vendors (most of them women) didn't calculate the time and crowding of the ferry and found themselves in crowds near the curfew.
The police did not use gentle methods towards them.
Police Chief Owino warned: "in cases of non-compliance with the rules already announced for days, we will be forced to use strong manners".
Beyond the usual policemen who got carried away with journalists and a few provocateurs, hopefully the first day was enough, and teaching and not becoming the rule. even though Kenyans (as many of them report) are used to this approach by those who have to enforce the laws. This time it is in their own interest and for their own good.
The hope, as we reiterate, is that preventive measures such as this one, initiated long before in other countries, can have a tangible outcome and reduce the time of the emergency and the deflagatory power of Covid19.

(photo AP)