This archive report was first published on 19 April 2020.
On April 18, 2020, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe addressed the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on coronavirus in a virtual meeting, stating that the government would not review the curfew hours to accommodate Muslims ahead of Ramadan.
According to Kagwe, the COVID-19 pandemic presented unique challenges, and the government could not afford to relax any rules. He emphasized that the virus had infected 262 people in Kenya, with 12 deaths and 60 recoveries.
During the meeting, Kagwe acknowledged the importance of Ramadan celebrations but stressed that they must be observed in a manner that reflected the current time and period. He urged Muslim faithful to be tolerant and continue observing the guidelines issued by the government, including the strict adherence to the 7pm to 5am curfew.
The dusk-to-dawn curfew was ordered by President Uhuru Kenyatta as part of measures aimed at containing the spread of the virus in the country. The order was later reinforced by the cessation of movement in and out of Nairobi, Mombasa, Kilifi, and Kwale counties, which had the highest cases.
As the country continued to grapple with the pandemic, Christian faithful had previously been forced to mark Easter festivities in small gatherings, while millions of Catholics globally followed the celebrations online.
