This archive report was first published on 22 April 2020.
On April 22, 2020, President Uhuru Kenyatta addressed concerns about Kenya's economy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which had infected 296 people in the country and severely impacted businesses nationwide.
Initially, the Central Bank had projected a 6.2 percent economic growth rate for 2020, up from 5.7 percent in 2019. However, due to the pandemic, the growth rate was revised to 3.4 percent in March.
The economic slowdown was attributed to reduced demand from Kenya's main trading partners, disruptions in supply chains, and domestic production.
During an interview with Kiswahili broadcasting stations at State House, President Kenyatta expressed confidence in the government's ability to revive the economy.
'I do not see a problem of us going back to where we were, we have not closed projects because of economy problems, we have been moving on successfully,' he said.
He assured that the government would implement measures to ensure the economy recovers.
'I have no doubt that we shall put in place measures after this pandemic to ensure our economy bounces back,' he said.
President Kenyatta also dismissed reports that the government was struggling to service its debt, stating that Kenya had never experienced difficulties in meeting its debt obligations.
'There is no single day the Republic of Kenya has been unable to pay her debts, there is no day we have been unable to pay workers' salaries,' he said.
He further emphasized that the country would not engage in geopolitics, particularly regarding the tensions between China and the US, and their respective engagements with African countries.
'We are battling a pandemic which did not start in Africa, we shall not meddle in the fight between those who brought this crisis,' he said.
