Dr Mugusu’s case shows how we treat youth
Dr Stephen Mogusu, who has died of Covid-19 complications.
What you need to know:
- In his last days, Steve was not only unable to foot his medical bills as he had no health insurance, he was also not able to take care of his young family.
- The youth make up about 77 per cent of the Kenyan population.
The saddest story I have read this week was about Dr Stephen Mogusu, the 28-year-old doctor who died last week of Covid-19. Dr Mogusu had been a frontline health worker at a Covid-19 isolation centre in a public hospital for five months.
Like a typical Kenyan youth, Dr Mogusu – or “Steve”, as his family referred to him – played by the rules. He believed in the Kenyan dream; stay in school and keep your grades up, get admitted to a reputable university and pursue your dream career (medicine), do your time, work your way up and become a respectable member of this society. Dr Mogusu’s game plan was to pursue cardiology.
Until we let him down when he needed us most.
In his last days, Steve was not only unable to foot his medical bills as he had no health insurance, he was also not able to take care of his young family.
“That I am doing the government’s bidding at the frontline, yet I can’t afford diapers for my daughter, breaks my heart. Sometimes I wonder how my wife looks at me,” were some of his last words.
Global pandemic
Yet, it is difficult to think about Dr Mogusu without thinking about the bigger picture. The youth make up about 77 per cent of the Kenyan population. Against a global pandemic that has robbed them of jobs, income and opportunities, Kenyans under 35 are the worst hit. It doesn’t matter whether you are educated or not, your degree cannot shield you from the effects of Covid-19.
Whether it is in the form of an ill-thought-out schools’ reopening plan that saw several students and teachers contracting Covid-19 or the fact that young Kenyans with degrees are forced to dig trenches for their daily bread, it is extremely tough to be a Kenyan youth today.
There is already talk by Kenyan youth who are considering moving away from Nairobi because the cost of rent, food and other basics is too high.
As if the pandemic has not ravaged them enough, there are proposals to increase fees in public universities to nearly threefold, effectively locking out a huge number of poor but academically gifted young people who cannot afford even the current Sh16,000.
Tax reliefs
Couple that with the government’s announcement to end the tax reliefs introduced at the onset of Covid-19 to cushion Kenyans –young Kenyans especially – against the economic effects of Covid-19.
With little indication of the economy picking up, and with the majority of Kenyan youth surviving on a fraction of their salaries – for those lucky enough to be employed – young Kenyans are looking at another year of uncertainty. Not to forget that Value Added Tax is up to 16 per cent from 14 per cent, which means the youth will pay more for food, fuel, electricity and medicine.
It is especially difficult for those with young families – like Dr Mogusu– who are expected to stay sane, show up at work and not complain.
As we get into the new year, it is time to have a much-needed conversation on how we treat the youth of this country.
