CONTESTATION OF BIOMEDICAL INFORMATION ON COVID-19 IN ALEGO-USONGA
Abstract
Purpose of the study: The study examined community contestation of biomedical information and COVID-19 containment measures in Alego-Usonga, Kenya.
Statement of the problem: Although containment measures were introduced to reduce viral transmission, their implementation encountered resistance shaped by local social, cultural, and economic circumstances. Understanding these responses is important for strengthening public trust in future health emergencies.
Research methodology: The study adopted an ethnographic research design involving 35 purposively selected community members, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions. Data were documented through audio recordings, video recordings, and field notes and examined using thematic and discourse analysis.
Findings: Community members contested curfews, mask requirements, social distancing, hygiene protocols, vaccination campaigns, transport capacity limits, school closures, and restrictions on gatherings. The reported concerns included perceived infringements of civil liberties, livelihood disruption, weakened social relationships, cultural dissonance, misinformation, and distrust of public authorities. Resistance to vaccination also reflected uncertainty about vaccine safety and inconsistent messaging.
Conclusion: The study concludes that contestation reflected the interaction between biomedical interventions and community interpretations of their social consequences. Public health measures were more difficult to accept when they were perceived to disregard livelihoods, rights, and established social practices.
Recommendations: The study recommends that policymakers should design culturally responsive risk-communication strategies and engage communities early in emergency planning. Health authorities should communicate consistently, address misinformation, and explain the rationale for interventions. Future responses should balance disease control with civil liberties, economic security, and community resilience.
Keywords: Sociocultural barriers, contestation, COVID-19, containment measures, risk communication
References
Aborisade, R. A. (2021). Accounts of unlawful use of force and misconduct of the Nigerian police in the enforcement of COVID-19 measures. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, 36(3), 450–462.
Al-Fadly, A. (2020). Impact of COVID-19 on SMEs and employment. Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues, 8(2), 629.
Andersen, A. L., Hansen, E. T., Johannesen, N., & Sheridan, A. (2020). Pandemic, shutdown and consumer spending: Lessons from Scandinavian policy responses to COVID-19 [Preprint]. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2005.04630
Dewi, Y. S., & Asmoro, C. P. (2021). The risk factors of COVID-19 transmission in health workers: A literature review. Advanced Nursing & Patient Care International Journal, 4(1), 1–10.
Du, J., Rakha, H. A., Filali, F., & Eldardiry, H. (2021). COVID-19 pandemic impacts on traffic system delay, fuel consumption and emissions. International Journal of Transportation Science and Technology, 10(2), 184–196.
Hassen, H. D., Welde, M., & Menebo, M. M. (2022). Understanding determinants of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy: An emphasis on the role of religious affiliation and individual's reliance on traditional remedy. BMC Public Health, 22(1), Article 1142.
Ikoni, O., & Ogundele, M. O. (2020). The disruption of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and quality of higher education in Nigeria. NIU Journal of Humanities, 5(2), 25–36. https://www.niujournals.ac.ug/ojs/index.php/niuhums/article/view/893
Jennings, W., Stoker, G., Bunting, H., Valgarðsson, V. O., Gaskell, J., Devine, D., McKay, L., & Mills, M. C. (2021). Lack of trust, conspiracy beliefs, and social media use predict COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Vaccines, 9(6), Article 593. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines9060593
Lee, J. (2020). Mental health effects of school closures during COVID-19. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, 4(6), 421.
Malik, S., Chhabra, M., & Chandra, G. M. (2022). Understanding the impact of pandemics on society with a special focus on COVID-19. Business and Society Review, 127(4), 835–861. https://doi.org/10.1111/basr.12288
Ministry of Health Kenya. (2021, March 3). COVID-19 vaccine finally lands in Kenya. Kenya News Agency. https://www.kenyanews.go.ke/covid-19-vaccine-finally-lands-in-kenya/
Muthuka, J., Wambura, F., Mirrium, M., Dede, E., & Ndukanio, S. (2022). Challenges of adhering to handwashing protocols as a COVID-19 prevention measure among slum dwellers in Nairobi, Kenya. European Journal of Public Health Studies, 5(1), 204–214.
Nagler, R. H., Vogel, R. I., Gollust, S. E., Rothman, A. J., Fowler, E. F., & Yzer, M. C. (2020). Public perceptions of conflicting information surrounding COVID-19: Results from a nationally representative survey of US adults. PLOS ONE, 15(10), Article e0240776.
Nyamnjoh, F. B. (2020). COVID-19 and the resilience of systemic suppression, oppression and repression. Langaa Research and Publishing Common Initiative Group. https://www.langaa-rpcig.net/covid-19-and-the-resilience-of-systemic-suppression-oppression-and-repression-by-francis-nyamnjoh/
Odigbo, B., Eze, F., Odigbo, R., & Kajang, J. (2023). COVID-19 lockdown controls and human rights abuses: The socioeconomic and social marketing implications. Emerald Open Research, 1, Article 4.
Okeke, D. C., Obasi, O., & Nwachukwu, M. U. (2022). Analysis of road transport response to COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria and its policy implications. Transportation Research Record, 2677(4), 851–864.
Palmer, R. D. (2022). COVID-19 vaccines and the misinterpretation of perceived side effects: Clarity on the safety of vaccines. BioMedicine, 12(3), 1.
Piusi, S. C. (2024). Influence of COVID-19 pandemic on school-going children in Kenya: A review paper on the case of Bungoma-West Sub-County, Bungoma County, Kenya. European Journal of Education Studies, 11(11), 77–84. https://doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v11i11.5695
Qian, H., Miao, T., Liu, L., Zheng, X., Luo, D., & Li, Y. (2022). The impact of crowd gatherings on the spread of COVID-19. Epidemiology & Infection, 150, Article e160. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0950268822000782
Redbird, B., Harbridge-Yong, L., & Mersey, R. D. (2022). The social and political impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: An introduction. RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences, 8(8), 1–29. https://doi.org/10.7758/RSF.2022.8.8.01
Richmond, A. (2021). Older adults' experiences of a pandemic: How foods, routines, and socialisation have been impacted by COVID-19 [Master's thesis, Massey University].
Shah, J., Abeid, A., Sharma, K., Manji, S., Nambafu, J., Korom, R., Patel, K., Said, M., Mohamed, M. A., Sood, M., Karani, V., Kamandi, P., Kiptinness, S., Rego, R. T., Patel, R., Shah, R., Talib, Z., & Ali, S. K. (2022). Perceptions and knowledge towards COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among a subpopulation of adults in Kenya: An English survey at six healthcare facilities. Vaccines, 10(5), Article 705. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines10050705
Sheridan, A., Andersen, A. L., Hansen, E. T., & Johannesen, N. (2020). Social distancing laws cause only small losses of economic activity during the COVID-19 pandemic in Scandinavia. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(34), 20468–20473.
Thompson, S., & Rohwerder, B. (2023). Spaces of exclusion and neglect: The impact of COVID-19 on people with disabilities in Bangladesh, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, and Uganda. International Journal of Disability and Social Justice, 8(2), 45–60.
Tomczyk, S., Rahn, M., & Schmidt, S. (2020). Social distancing and stigma: Association between compliance with behavioral recommendations, risk perception, and stigmatizing attitudes during the COVID-19 outbreak. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, Article 1821.
Völker, B. (2023). Networks in lockdown: The consequences of COVID-19 for social relationships and feelings of loneliness. Social Networks, 72, 1–12.
Vriens, E., Andrighetto, G., & Tummolini, L. (2024). Risk, sanctions and norm change: The formation and decay of social distancing norms. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 379(1897), Article 20230035.
World Health Organization. (2021). Kenya increases uptake and equity for COVID-19 vaccinations. https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/kenya-increases-uptake-and-equity-for-covid-19-vaccinations
Zagury-Orly, I. (2020). Unmasking reasons for face mask resistance. Global Biosecurity, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.31646/gbio.80
Zulaika, G., Bulbarelli, M., Nyothach, E., van Eijk, A., Mason, L., Fwaya, E., ... Phillips-Howard, P. A. (2022). Impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on adolescent pregnancy and school dropout among secondary schoolgirls in Kenya. BMJ Global Health, 7(1), Article e007666.
