President Uhuru Kenyatta has been in the forefront in the fight against Covid-19 since the virus was first confirmed in the country on Friday, March 13, 2020.
Following the continuous rise in the number of confirmed cases in the country, the head of state has since moved to issue directives to cushion members of the public from the adversities of the virus, both social and economic.
President Kenyatta ordered the closure of all learning institutions in the country, called for employers to allow their employees to work from home if possible, and in urging members of the public to use virtual modes of payment, called for a waiver in money transfer fees.
He further directed lenders to allow for an extension in loan repayments, waiver on interest rates, and on Wednesday, March 25, 2020, ordered a nationwide 7 p.m to 5 a.m curfew, all in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19, and shield Kenyans from the economic impact. This was followed by another announcement on April 6, banning travel into and out of Nairobi, Mombasa, Kwale and Kilifi counties.
President Uhuru Kenyatta in his addresses to the state has often called for collaboration, and adherence to the given national guidelines in the fight against the deadly virus that had by April 6, 2020, claimed the lives of 6 people.
A poll by Kenyans.co.ke on April 7, disclosed that members of the public felt let down, and allegedly "betrayed" by the head of state, which saw him barely earn a 1 out of 10.
Kenyans blamed the outbreak of the virus in the country on the president, with several arguing that despite Kenya learning of the global pandemic, the head of state prioritised economic gains, instead of the health of citizens by failing to cancel flights in and out of the country sooner.
"He failed from the word go when he allowed flights from China the epicentre of the pandemic to continue arriving. I can't even rate him," Kemei Junior argued.
President Kenyatta was much criticized, with citizens alleging the head of state had misplaced priorities.
What seems to have caught the raw nerve of Kenyans was the decision by the president to disclose that the state would increase royalty earnings for artists to Ksh200 million per month, a figure that translates to a payout of Ksh2 billion by the end of the year.
"He seems unhinged on where to prioritize, he should be thinking more on how to cushion his people, we need food, not entertainment," Amiel Ras argued.
"Clueless president instead of providing medical practitioners with PPE and increasing their allowances in this time of Covid-19 pandemic, he is rewarding comedians and musicians to entertain hungry Kenyans," Alinoor Karu stated.
President Kenyatta's directive to further restrict movement in and out of the most affected counties was met with criticism, many arguing that this should have been done when the first case was confirmed, rather than now when a larger web of infection has been created.
Kenyans continued to call for a total lockdown in the country, a move that the head of state, along with Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has often stated that it would be best if avoided.
With several expressions of discontent and frustration from Kenyans, the president barely managed a decent rating, earning a 1 out of 10 in his handling of the pandemic.
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