DO WE NEED TO HOODWINK EACH OTHER OR FACE IT?

For yet another time, two East African giants are at it. It came to light that Tanzania ordered its airports closed to Kenya's plane as a reciprocal move after Kenya issued its list of the countries allowed to fly in wherein Tanzania was missing. This is not the first, and maybe, the last time for the duo to indulge in such counter-measurements. As neighbours and siblings, the duo needs each other whether they like it or not. The reason behind this kerfuffle-cum-imbroglio is nothing but how the duo addressed COVID-19 pandemic. Whereas Kenya ordered a total lockdown, Tanzania kept everything normal. They both have very good reasons for taking the stance they have taken. For example, is it possible for a poor country to apply lockdown while it does not have financial muscles to take care of its poor people that makes the majority of the population not to mention testing being another thorny issue? While Kenyans have been in the total lockdown so as to affect them economically so as to start facing hunger, Tanzanians have, since the pandemic broke out been doing their activities as usual as they take some precautions. President John Pombe Magufuli has squarely refused to introduce lockdown let alone total lockdown. He once told his people that they need to work hard while others are facing a total lockdown so that, once they start complaining about hunger, they might supply them with food produced at the time they were in a lockdown. Now that the two are at it once again, what should be done? Are the measures the duo has taken appropriate? Are such measures the solution they envisaged to address the problem? Methinks nobody is a cut above the rest as far as how to deal with the pandemic is concerned. Instead, the duo needs to start contemplating talking themselves out of this unnecessary impasse resulting from unnecessary tug of war. For, nobody is right or wrong in this catch-22 situation.