Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe on Sunday, March 29, jumped to the defense of many Kenyans who found themselves unable to make it home by 7 p.m. in line with the requirements of the nationwide curfew.
In a stern warning to employers, Kagwe asserted that it was unfair to release workers late knowing well that they might not make it home in time.
He called for the business community in the country to take responsibility, challenging employers to offer accommodation for their workers if they were unable to release them early.
"What they cannot do is to release somebody half an hour before seven or at a time that they are so sure they cannot get home by 7 p.m. It is unfair to release someone 30 minutes before, at 6.30 p.m., and for example, they live in Thika.
"It is unfair and should not happen. This is where we ask for responsibility even among our business community," Kagwe asserted.
Since the first day of implementation of the curfew on Friday, March 27, Kenyans have clashed with police deployed to enforce the curfew around the country.
Many of those caught up in the chaos have been employees unable to make it home on time after leaving work late or experiencing difficulties accessing public transport after leaving their places of work.
A number of banks, shops and supermarkets as well as other businesses have announced changes to their opening and closing hours due to the curfew.
"I want to urge employers to kindly release their employees in time to be able to meet the curfew time of 7 p.m. If they do not want to allow their employees on time, then they should prepare accommodation for them," Kagwe stated.
The cabinet secretary spoke when he addressed reporters at a press conference outside Harambee House in Nairobi where he announced that the total number of Covid-19 cases had risen to 42 with four new cases confirmed in the preceding 24 hours.
Of the four new cases, one was a Kenyan citizen with the other three from America, Cameroon and Burkina Faso.
At the same time, Kagwe cautioned Kenyans against spreading misinformation on the pandemic stating it would only cause fear and alarm.
In particular, he referenced controversial comments made on Twitter by Dagoretti South MP John Kiarie.
Kagwe asserted that a claim made by Kiarie that 7,000 people who flew into the country were being quarantined at various government facilities, was false.
"It is unethical for anyone, more so one purporting to be a leader, to misinform Kenyans for any reason," he stated.
Watch a video of part of Kagwe's speech below:
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