This archive report was first published on 20 May 2020.
On May 20, 2020, National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani revealed the devastating impact of Covid-19 on Kenyan workers during the launch of the Report on Socio-Economic Impact of Covid-19 on Households.
A survey conducted by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics in early May found that 49.9% of workers had been asked to stay away or found themselves locked out by their employers following the government's directives in March.
The government's measures, including the ban on passenger flights, temporary closure of bars, and dusk-to-dawn curfew, have had a ripple effect on businesses and workers' incomes, with many business owners introducing cost-cutting measures to stay afloat.
According to the survey, women have been disproportionately affected by the jobs downturn, with 65.3% of male respondents reporting they were in the labour force, compared to 51.2% of females.
The report also revealed that income stoppage has curtailed households' financial ability to cater for their health, transport, and housing needs, with the cost of transport rising by an average of 51.7% nationally.
Furthermore, 30.5% of households were unable to pay rent on the agreed date, with reduced income/earnings cited as the main reason by 52.9% of households.
On health, the findings showed that 17% of households had at least one member with a pre-existing medical condition, and 12.4% had a member who had sought health services during the period under review.
Despite the challenges, the survey found that Kenyans possess knowledge on Covid-19, with 99.4% of adults aged 18 years and above having heard about the disease.
