This archive report was first published on 6 August 2020.
On August 6, 2020, the Kenyan government announced a relaxation of a presidential directive aimed at slowing down the transmission of Covid-19.
According to a letter from Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala to the Kenya Association of Hotel Keepers and Caterers chief executive Michael Macharia, dated August 4, 2020, hotels and restaurants can now sell alcohol in their premises, but only to guests in their rooms.
President Uhuru Kenyatta's order banning alcohol sale in hotels and restaurants is still in force, but guests can now be served in their hotel rooms, as long as it is in private and in rooms.
The ban on sale of alcohol in restaurants and eateries is in force up to end of August, while bars remain closed indefinitely.
The President also ordered permanent withdrawal of licences for operators breaching the alcohol ban.
Hotels and restaurants had been closed for four months due to the pandemic, and had just reopened when the directive was issued.
According to a Central Bank of Kenya survey, hotel bookings have rebounded from the lows recorded since April.
