This archive report was first published on 18 July 2020.
On July 18, 2020, Kenya's Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe issued a stern warning to bar owners who were found disguising their businesses as restaurants in a bid to circumvent COVID-19 regulations.
Speaking during a COVID-19 briefing in Embu County, Kagwe emphasized that bars and places of entertainment in the country remained closed, and that those found violating the regulations would face severe consequences.
“Bars are not opened. We have seen some people now pretending that theirs are restaurants while they are not. Those are the kind of activities that make us take stringent measures to close those bars. We shall close them indefinitely,” Kagwe said.
He attributed the spread of COVID-19 to personal responsibility, urging Kenyans to take precautions to protect themselves and others.
“Why take a risk to kill people during this pandemic and in the process get closed down? It is just plain foolish. We hope people are going to refuse going to those bars, because after all it is a personal choice to go to those drinking dens,” he said.
As part of the government's efforts to combat the pandemic, Kagwe unveiled a new slogan, 'Save Me I Save You', aimed at making each person wary of the person next to them.
