This archive report was first published on 26 August 2019.
Bars and entertainment spots in Kenya have been given the green light to operate normally after the government lifted a 5 pm curfew imposed last week.
Interior Security Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i had directed the closure of entertainment spots last weekend to allow Kenyans to be at home for the census exercise conducted by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).
According to Interior PS Karanja Kibicho, the business community heeded the call, and the directive to close bars and other entertainment joints ended on Sunday.
The census exercise officially kicked off on Saturday at 6 pm, with enumerators expected to visit at least 14 households from 6 pm to 6 am.
However, in new developments, PS Kibicho has announced an extension of the census from 6 am to 10 pm in major urban centers and 6 am to 9 pm in rural areas.
The new hours, 6 am to 10 pm, will be applied to Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Kisumu, Kakamega, Eldoret, Nyeri, and Thika.
PS Kibicho explained that the inter-ministerial committee has agreed to extend the working hours especially in urban areas to recover lost time.
He also conveyed that a majority of VIPs across the country had been enumerated on day one of the census.
