This archive report was first published on 21 June 2021.
June 21, 2021, Nairobi, Kenya - The COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread in Kenya, prompting the Ministry of Health to urge the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) to postpone its Annual Special Delegates Conference scheduled for June 26.
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe wrote to the union, suggesting a hybrid conference with only 15 key participants to minimize the risk of transmission.
The conference is expected to draw over 1,800 delegates from across the country, which would contravene the ban on public gatherings still in place due to the rise in community infections.
“The Ministry recognizes the importance of the conference on the calendar of the Teachers Union. However, the gathering poses a significant challenge in maintaining physical distance,” Kagwe stated.
KNUT had initially requested to hold the in-person conference at the Ruaraka Sports Club, but the Ministry's concerns over the pandemic have led to the request to postpone the event.
Kenya is currently experiencing widespread community transmission of the virus, with a surge of cases in the past few weeks. The recent emergence of new highly transmissible variants has put the country at a high risk of resurgence of cases and deaths.
