This archive report was first published on 7 July 2020.
On March 24, 2020, Kenya Airways planes took off from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, marking the beginning of the end of the country's lockdown. The government had grounded airlines following the outbreak of Covid-19.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has taken a significant step towards fully reopening the economy by lifting restrictions on movement in and out of Nairobi, Mombasa, and Mandera. This move will breathe life into the transport sector, which has been crippled by the lockdown.
Simon Kimutai, chairman of the Matatu Owners Association, expressed skepticism about the government's plan to certify public transport vehicles to prevent the spread of Covid-19. 'When you test me now, and I don't have it, is it a guarantee that I will not have it?' he wondered.
Kimutai suggested that the government should have provided operators with equipment such as sanitizers and temperature guns to promote behavioral change. He noted that revenues for public service vehicles had dwindled by 60%.
With the lifting of restrictions, the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) services from Nairobi to Mombasa will also resume. SGR passenger revenues in March and April tanked by 47% after the government implemented stringent measures to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Resumption of flights is a major reprieve to thousands of workers in the airline and air travel agencies, many of whom have been fired or furloughed as the planes remained grounded. The President also paved the way for the reopening of churches, a major source of income for thousands of clergy.
