This archive report was first published on 1 May 2021.
On May 1, 2021, President Uhuru Kenyatta cautioned that he would not hesitate to reintroduce strict measures to contain COVID-19 if the number of infections continued to rise in Kenya.
Speaking on the need to shield the country from falling into a crisis like the one currently being witnessed in some countries, the President cited India as an example where the public health sector has been overwhelmed, with a high number of fatalities and new infections recorded daily.
President Kenyatta emphasized that his responsibility as the President is to protect life first, and that he would do everything necessary to prevent the spread of the virus in Kenya.
He lifted a lockdown on five counties declared as a disease zone on March 26, reviewed curfew hours, and allowed the re-opening of eateries and bars.
The counties under lockdown were Nairobi, Kiambu, Kajiado, Machakos, and Nakuru.
President Kenyatta urged Kenyans to work together to maintain both their health and lives, as well as the economy, and warned against politicizing or sensationalizing the pandemic.
He explained that the government's motive is not to make life unbearable for Kenyans, but to protect them from the pandemic that has so far claimed 2,724 lives.
The first case of coronavirus disease was recorded in March 2020.
With the new directive, schools will re-open as per the calendar issued by the Ministry of Education, and in-person and congregational worship shall resume in strict fidelity to the guidelines issued by the Inter-Faith Council and Ministry of Health.
The President also directed all hospitals to limit the number of visitors for hospitalized patients to one visitor per patient per day, extended the prohibition on political gatherings indefinitely, and encouraged employers and enterprises to allow employees to work from home.
