Staff dilemma in Ebola-hit areas
Dr Kent Brantly (right) stands with his wife, Amber Brantly, as he announces his release on August 21, 2014, from Emory Hospital after receiving treatment for Ebola in Atlanta, Georgia. Tough choices face Kenyans who need to report to their work stations in Ebola-affected countries. AFP PHOTO
What you need to know:
- Kenya’s flight ban, which started on Tuesday night was to prevent the importation of Ebola from Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. The disease broke out in Guinea in March, spreading to the other countries.
- Kenyans who work in those countries have to find their way back in spite of the flight cancellations.
Tough choices face Kenyans who need to report to their work stations in Ebola-affected countries.
The suspension of flights to and from Sierra Leone and Liberia means that only those in the two countries could find it difficult to get out.
The two countries and Guinea Conakry are the epicentre of the viral disease, which has killed more than 1,220 people.
Kenyans who work in those countries have to find their way back in spite of the flight cancellations.
On Thursday, we spoke to two Kenyans working with international organisations in Liberia.
They have been staying in Nairobi and were due to fly out next week. Ordinarily, the cheaper option is using flights from Kenya to Monrovia. But now they can’t; they have to use longer and expensive routes.
“My employer has not evacuated staff and the government has not advised Kenyans not to travel to those areas.
“That means I cannot convince my employer that I am unable to travel. I have been told to use alternative means,” one of the Kenyans working with an oil company in Monrovia told the Nation.
“Even during this crisis, business is booming for certain organisations. It means that I have to travel back or I lose my job,” the staffer said.
IMPORTATION OF EBOLA
Kenya’s flight ban, which started on Tuesday night, was to prevent the importation of Ebola from Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. The disease broke out in Guinea in March, spreading to the other West African countries.
Alternative flights to these areas will mean flying out of Nairobi to Europe and then connecting to Liberia — which is long and expensive.
It could also mean flying to Accra in Ghana and then finding a connecting flight to Liberia.
The latter is unlikely given that local airlines in West Africa, such as the Gambian Bird, have also suspended flights.
“Our government should protect us by issuing a travel advisory. If not, we are in danger of losing our jobs if we don’t find a way back to work.
“We do not have an excuse to stay away,” another aid agency worker said.
The Nation cannot disclose their identity for protocol reasons.
Several Kenyans work for United Nations agencies, private mining or oil firms, businesspeople or as consultants in West Africa.
Reports by Aggrey Mutambo, Raphael Wanjala and Elisha Otieno
