We, the citizens of Kenya under the banner of the hashtag #UnlockOurCountry, hereby submit this list of demands, in recognition of the fact that the effect of the lockdown on the economy is worse than the effect of the spread of the virus. More importantly, the recovery rate from Covid infection is higher than recovery from financial deprivation and cessation of economic activities.
More destruction and death during the last one year, have been caused by police extra-judicial killings, starvation, suicide, road-accidents, than the COVID virus itself. It has been a traumatizing period for Kenyans due to the misguided lockdowns initiated by the Presidency.
As the rest of Kenyans complied, politicians hosted super-spreader events and escalated an already bad situation. Vaccines that arrived in Kenya from the COVAX facility meant to be administered free, are being hoarded and in many cases, sold by rogue hospitals and Ministry of Health officials.
In this regard we hereby DEMAND;
- THE IMMEDIATE & UNCONDITIONAL re-opening of the country from the misguided lockdown imposed last week.
- THE removal of the National Police Service officers from actively enforcing the curfew and disrupting transport, education (universities, colleges, etc), business activities including harassing and extortion of Small & Medium Size Businesses (SME’s) in various towns across the country.
- THE resumption of normal transport services (road, rail, air) enabling movement of people and goods.
- THE urgent and concerted effort of all health sector players to initiate a concerted effort to inoculate all Kenyans with the FREE COVID vaccine, beginning with operators in the entertainment, hospitality, sports, education and transport sectors, who are widely exposed due to the nature of their work.
- THE upholding of Constitutional Provisions. Under Article 37 of Kenya's 2010 Constitution which says that every person has the right, peaceably and unarmed, to assemble, to demonstrate, to picket, and to present petitions to public authorities.
- THE urgent review of fuel and electricity prices and cancellation of Independent Power Producers (IPPs) contracts who are behind the outrageously high consumer electricity prices, which have adversely influenced Kenya’s SME’s, leading to the closure of entertainment spots, hotels, restaurants, barbershops/salons, cyber-cafes/DVD stalls, fast food restaurants etc.
- THE immediate disbursement of funds meant to cushion the most vulnerable in society including the youth funds, which we recently learnt from the auditor general, were redistributed to recurrent expenditure.
- THE commencement of economic recovery rescue stimulus packages including reducing VAT on basic commodities, interest relief from bank loans and regulation of digital lenders.
- THE end of the daily press briefings by the Ministry of Health and media to instead reprioritize job creation, return to normalcy and economic incentives by the government.
- THE immediate subsidy on foods and basic commodities, school fees and hospital bills for ALL Kenyans, in both public and private schools and hospitals using the funds advanced to the country by multilateral donors and foreign nations (copied herein).
We join hands with Kenyans of goodwill who have been engaging in peaceful protests across the country and implore upon the others to join hands with their comrades to help agitate for our rights as citizens of Kenya. Protest from any part of the country.
We ask the international community, donor agencies and foreign media to highlight the continued exploitation of Kenyans, by infringing on our democratic rights and freedoms to assemble and picket. Kenya should not continue qualifying for the massive donor kitty if it continues to be managed like a failed state, which doesn’t meet disbursement criteria as stipulated by donors.
We urge foreign embassies and missions to impose a travel ban and economic blockade on assets & cash reserves of top government officials and their families, banked in their countries who issue orders for the police to deny Kenyans the constitutional right to freely assemble and present memorandum.
THE PEOPLE - 1st DAY OF APRIL 2021
#UnlockOurCountry
To: (Tag indiscriminately)
The Presidency - Government of Kenya @StateHouseKenya The Legislature-Parliament & Senate @NAssemblyKE @Senate_KE The Judiciary @KenyaJudiciary The National Police Service @NPSOfficial_KE Council of Governors @KenyaGovernors All College & University Students In Kenya All Bloggers, Influencers & Journalists #KOT All Restaurant, Bar & NightClub Workers & Operators All SME’s who’ve been affected. All Entertainers, Artistes, Deejays, Dancers & Photographers Lupita Nyongo @Lupita_Nyongo Naomi Campbell @NaomiCampbell WorldBank/International Monetary Fund (IMF) @WorldBankKenya @IMFNews The European Union (EU) Mission - Nairobi @EUinKenya British High Commissioner to Kenya @UKinKenya Acting United States Ambassador to Kenya @USEmbassyKenya French Ambassador to Kenya @FranceInKenya German Ambassador to Kenya @GermanyInKenya Canadian High Commissioner to Kenya @HCCanKenya Australian High Commissioner to Kenya @AusHCKenya Japan Ambassador to Kenya @JapaninKenya CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera, SABC, DW, etc.