This archive report was first published on 12 June 2020.
Published on June 12, 2020, the government has issued a stern warning to restaurants operating in Nairobi, threatening to permanently withdraw their permits if they continue to flout the 4pm operating rule.
Head of Public Health Dr. Francis Kuria stated that restaurants are only allowed to operate until 4pm, despite the extension of the dusk-to-dawn curfew to 9pm.
Dr. Kuria emphasized that the directive will remain in place while the ministry consults on a way forward, warning that withdrawing a permit is a permanent decision and not something that can be reversed.
"If we withdraw your permit, it is withdrawn permanently….don’t bother reapplying, we will make sure it does not go through," Dr. Francis Kuria warned those flouting restaurant operation protocol.
Clarifying the situation, Dr. Kuria noted that despite President Uhuru Kenyatta extending the curfew last Saturday, some restaurants took it upon themselves to extend their operating hours to as late as 10pm with some serving alcohol as the main "dish".
He further stated that police officers have been instructed to crack down on those flouting this directive, adding that the ministry is reviewing the protocols in use for the operations of eateries and restaurants.
