This archive report was first published on 8 July 2020.
Uhuru's Reopening Decision Sparks Debate Among Kenyans ¶
President Uhuru Kenyatta's decision to reopen the economy has sparked a heated debate among Kenyans, with some leaders expressing concerns over the potential surge in COVID-19 cases.
Political analyst and University of Nairobi don Herman Manyora has faulted the president for lifting the cessation of movement into and out of counties that were on lockdown, citing concerns over the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the country.
Manyora shared his sentiments on his Twitter handle on Tuesday, July 7, noting that a majority of medical experts were not pleased with the president's decision.
"Uhuru made mistake, a monumental mistake, to reopen the country. Most health experts are not with him on this. My fear is that we may pay dearly for this," tweeted Manyora.
Manyora's sentiments were met with mixed reactions from internet users, with a majority of them claiming they supported Uhuru's decision to open up the economy.
However, some felt that easing the partial lockdown in hotspot counties will further increase the number of cases in the country, whose total rose to 8,250 with 183 more infections as announced on Tuesday.
Some leaders questioned the decisions made by the government in handling the spread of the virus after the first case of infection was recorded.
"The question is who are President Uhuru's advisers? How is curfew more important than the lockdown?" posed Chepshangut.
"The biggest mistake he did was not to give people the chance to travel when he placed the lock down for the first time. Then cases were fewer and manageable," said Erick Mugambi.
Uhuru, in a speech delivered from Harambee House in Nairobi, had announced a raft of measures that will see a phased reopening of an economy battered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
These included the lifting of the ban on travel in and out of Nairobi, Mombasa and Mandera, and resumption of religious services.
