This archive report was first published on 7 June 2020.
On June 6, 2020, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced a review of COVID-19 curfew hours in Kenya, extending them from 7 pm to 5 am to 9 pm to 4 am.
The Mwanzo Mpya Vision Society, a local organization, has welcomed the move, citing its potential benefits to the economy, particularly for grocery retailers and the transport sector.
According to the society's chairman, C N Mwangi, the extended curfew hours will allow 'the mama mboga who feeds her family and other Kenyans' to have more hours for her business, as well as benefiting the matatu industry and boda boda operators.
President Kenyatta had initially considered reopening the economy but was advised against it by experts, who warned that the country's health system would be overwhelmed by the virus if restrictions were relaxed too quickly.
Experts estimate that if the country reopens without proper protocol, there will be over a million cases and 70,000 deaths by the end of the year.
The society also praised the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure for its efforts in advising Kenyan commuters to maintain social distance during the pandemic.
