releasing part of its workforce, mostly casual laborers,
with others delaying salary payment.
Similarly, some businesses have experienced challenges in complying with their tax obligations. Companies, on the other hand, should develop strategies
for mitigating potential tax liabilities. Besides these,
businesses have had challenges meeting their rent and
leasing obligations.
7 RECOMMENDATIONS
The resulting context requires crafting mechanisms
for businesses and government (both County and
National) through relevant agencies to co-create solutions and develop best practices that can lessen coronavirus’s effects on the business sector. It is also
necessary for these agencies to build a support system and mechanisms for resilience and adaptation for
vulnerable enterprises across supply and value chains
and citizens.
Towards this end, the government should create a
disaster stimulus fund to revive businesses primarily
affected. Pay daily wages for the elderly, marginalized,
and underserved population; a cash transfer system
should be developed and executed during the pandemic
to spur consumption and therefore buoy up demand for
essential goods and services, thus keeping businesses
afloat.
Further, it will be necessary to develop and implement emergency policies that will ease the production and consumption of locally manufactured
goods and services. This is expected to substitute
imports and, through upscaling, make local enterprises build export orientation. Such policies should
target the utilization of local resources and easing
the process of importation of manufacturing inputs.
The result is building local production capacity,
creating employment, utilizing local resources, foreign exchange savings, and the Kenyan economy’s
independence.
As part of the economic stimulus, the government
needs to consider tax relief or reduction and possibly
waive administrative fees for individual key businesses
that provide necessary goods and services. Besides, it
will be important for the government to increase subsidies for vital and essential programs to spur economic
activities.
The government together with other stakeholders, needs to seek partnerships and agreements to
support businesses through the access of long-term
low-interest financing and interest-free LPO financing
for international markets, which shall enable traders
to expand their sourcing markets and have access to
capital.
Through relevant training and research, stakeholders must imprint entrepreneurial life skills and knowledge to survive in such tumultuous situations. Further,
similar problems will be dealt with in the future by
developing and executing risk management strategies
that effectively serve their business
. To cushioning businesses from severe effects on
its operations and functioning, possible government
stimuli must stabilize and maintain the business environment’s integrity. It is also crucial for both National
and County Governments to create a great atmosphere
and opportunities for businesses to manufacture personal protective equipment (PPEs), necessary medical
supplies, and equipment such as ventilators to supplement imports. The Jua Kali sector can take centre
stage in innovating and production of some medical
equipment.
Finally, the requirement for hand washing and
sanitization if expensive for small enterprises. This
requires support from especially county governments
by ensuring a continuous supply of water and subsidizing the cost of water. It is also recommended that
there is a need to install UV light and fumigation sanitization systems in strategic locations in urban areas
to ensure the containment of the virus and build public
confidence.
REFERENCES
Ali, S. A., Baloch, M., Ahmed, N., Ali, A. A., & Iqbal,
A. (2020). The outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019
(COVID-19)—An emerging global health threat. Journal
of infection and public health.
Bassetti, M., Vena, A., & Giacobbe, D. R. (2020). The
novel COVID-19 (2019-nCoV) infections: Challenges
for fighting the storm. European journal of clinical
investigation, 50(3), e13209.
Beck, T., Degryse, H., De Haas, R., & Van Horen, N. (2018).
When arm’s length is too far: Relationship banking over
the credit cycle. Journal of Financial Economics, 127(1),
174–196.
Chinazzi, M., Davis, J.T.,Ajelli, M., Gioannini, C., Litvinova,
M., Merler, S., . . . &Viboud, C. (2020).The effect of travel
restrictions on the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus
(COVID-19) outbreak. Science, 368(6489), 395–400.
COVID, T. C., & Team, R. (2020). Severe Outcomes among
Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)United States, February 12-March 16, 2020. MMWR
Morb Mortal Wkly Rep, 69(12), 343–346.
Ebrahim, S. H., Ahmed, Q. A., Gozzer, E., Schlagenhauf,
P., & Memish, Z. A. (2020). Covid-19 and community
mitigation strategies in a pandemic.
Holshue, M. L., DeBolt, C., Lindquist, S., Lofy, K. H., Wiesman, J., Bruce, H., . . . & Diaz, G. (2020). First case of
2019 novel coronavirus in the United States. New England
Journal of Medicine.
Huang, C., Wang, Y., Li, X., Ren, L., Zhao, J., Hu, Y.,
. . . & Cheng, Z. (2020). Clinical features of patients
infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China.
The Lancet, 395(10223), 497–506
Khafaie, M. A., & Rahim, F. (2020). Cross-country comparison of case fatality rates of COVID-19/SARS-COV-2.
Osong Public Health and Research Perspectives, 11(2),
74.
Ndii, D. (2020). Thoughts of a pandemic, geoeconomics, and
Africa’s urban sociology. The Elephant, 25.
Paules, C. I., Marston, H. D., & Fauci, A. S. (2020). Coronavirus infections—more than just the common cold. Jama,
323(8), 707–708.
Potluri, R., & Lavu, D. (2020). Making sense of the
Global Coronavirus Data: The role of testing rates in
26
with others delaying salary payment.
Similarly, some businesses have experienced challenges in complying with their tax obligations. Companies, on the other hand, should develop strategies
for mitigating potential tax liabilities. Besides these,
businesses have had challenges meeting their rent and
leasing obligations.
7 RECOMMENDATIONS
The resulting context requires crafting mechanisms
for businesses and government (both County and
National) through relevant agencies to co-create solutions and develop best practices that can lessen coronavirus’s effects on the business sector. It is also
necessary for these agencies to build a support system and mechanisms for resilience and adaptation for
vulnerable enterprises across supply and value chains
and citizens.
Towards this end, the government should create a
disaster stimulus fund to revive businesses primarily
affected. Pay daily wages for the elderly, marginalized,
and underserved population; a cash transfer system
should be developed and executed during the pandemic
to spur consumption and therefore buoy up demand for
essential goods and services, thus keeping businesses
afloat.
Further, it will be necessary to develop and implement emergency policies that will ease the production and consumption of locally manufactured
goods and services. This is expected to substitute
imports and, through upscaling, make local enterprises build export orientation. Such policies should
target the utilization of local resources and easing
the process of importation of manufacturing inputs.
The result is building local production capacity,
creating employment, utilizing local resources, foreign exchange savings, and the Kenyan economy’s
independence.
As part of the economic stimulus, the government
needs to consider tax relief or reduction and possibly
waive administrative fees for individual key businesses
that provide necessary goods and services. Besides, it
will be important for the government to increase subsidies for vital and essential programs to spur economic
activities.
The government together with other stakeholders, needs to seek partnerships and agreements to
support businesses through the access of long-term
low-interest financing and interest-free LPO financing
for international markets, which shall enable traders
to expand their sourcing markets and have access to
capital.
Through relevant training and research, stakeholders must imprint entrepreneurial life skills and knowledge to survive in such tumultuous situations. Further,
similar problems will be dealt with in the future by
developing and executing risk management strategies
that effectively serve their business
. To cushioning businesses from severe effects on
its operations and functioning, possible government
stimuli must stabilize and maintain the business environment’s integrity. It is also crucial for both National
and County Governments to create a great atmosphere
and opportunities for businesses to manufacture personal protective equipment (PPEs), necessary medical
supplies, and equipment such as ventilators to supplement imports. The Jua Kali sector can take centre
stage in innovating and production of some medical
equipment.
Finally, the requirement for hand washing and
sanitization if expensive for small enterprises. This
requires support from especially county governments
by ensuring a continuous supply of water and subsidizing the cost of water. It is also recommended that
there is a need to install UV light and fumigation sanitization systems in strategic locations in urban areas
to ensure the containment of the virus and build public
confidence.
REFERENCES
Ali, S. A., Baloch, M., Ahmed, N., Ali, A. A., & Iqbal,
A. (2020). The outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019
(COVID-19)—An emerging global health threat. Journal
of infection and public health.
Bassetti, M., Vena, A., & Giacobbe, D. R. (2020). The
novel COVID-19 (2019-nCoV) infections: Challenges
for fighting the storm. European journal of clinical
investigation, 50(3), e13209.
Beck, T., Degryse, H., De Haas, R., & Van Horen, N. (2018).
When arm’s length is too far: Relationship banking over
the credit cycle. Journal of Financial Economics, 127(1),
174–196.
Chinazzi, M., Davis, J.T.,Ajelli, M., Gioannini, C., Litvinova,
M., Merler, S., . . . &Viboud, C. (2020).The effect of travel
restrictions on the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus
(COVID-19) outbreak. Science, 368(6489), 395–400.
COVID, T. C., & Team, R. (2020). Severe Outcomes among
Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)United States, February 12-March 16, 2020. MMWR
Morb Mortal Wkly Rep, 69(12), 343–346.
Ebrahim, S. H., Ahmed, Q. A., Gozzer, E., Schlagenhauf,
P., & Memish, Z. A. (2020). Covid-19 and community
mitigation strategies in a pandemic.
Holshue, M. L., DeBolt, C., Lindquist, S., Lofy, K. H., Wiesman, J., Bruce, H., . . . & Diaz, G. (2020). First case of
2019 novel coronavirus in the United States. New England
Journal of Medicine.
Huang, C., Wang, Y., Li, X., Ren, L., Zhao, J., Hu, Y.,
. . . & Cheng, Z. (2020). Clinical features of patients
infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China.
The Lancet, 395(10223), 497–506
Khafaie, M. A., & Rahim, F. (2020). Cross-country comparison of case fatality rates of COVID-19/SARS-COV-2.
Osong Public Health and Research Perspectives, 11(2),
74.
Ndii, D. (2020). Thoughts of a pandemic, geoeconomics, and
Africa’s urban sociology. The Elephant, 25.
Paules, C. I., Marston, H. D., & Fauci, A. S. (2020). Coronavirus infections—more than just the common cold. Jama,
323(8), 707–708.
Potluri, R., & Lavu, D. (2020). Making sense of the
Global Coronavirus Data: The role of testing rates in
26