This archive report was first published on 28 June 2020.
Kenya's President, Uhuru Kenyatta, has hinted at the lifting of the lockdown in Nairobi and Mombasa counties, which has been in effect since April 7th. This comes as Kenya Airways prepares to resume domestic flights in the next couple of days.
During the Corporate Council of African (CCA) Leaders Forum on June 26th, President Kenyatta responded to a question about when Kenya Airways would resume international flights. He stated, "First and foremost, just to answer the question on KQ. We are going to be starting domestic flights and this is what we are going to use over the, let’s say the next couple of days. Coz we are opening up the lockdown that we’ve had between, inter-county lockdown. And ultimately I think that’s what’s going to set the pace for getting a day for us to open up now once again to international flights."
The lockdown, which was extended on June 6th for a further 30 days, is set to elapse on July 6th. Kenya Airways had announced that they are ready to resume flights, but this was dependent on the government lifting the lockdown.
However, President Kenyatta emphasized the need for caution, stating, "We have seen that if you don’t take the necessary precautions, if you don’t put in place the necessary measures, opening up too quickly also has its downside as we have seen in different parts of the world."
