Health CS Mutahi Kagwe has denied claims of plans to extend the dusk-to-dawn curfew by three hours to begin at 3 p.m. in Nairobi after media reports.
The apparent decision was to be made due to a return to normal business operations in the city nearly two months after the first Covid-19 case was recorded in Kenya.
Speaking to a local daily, Nairobi County Health CEC, Hitan Majevdia, was quoted to have said that the curfew would be set at 3 p.m in a bid to reduce the spread of the virus.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, Kagwe cleared the air on the claims noting that no talks to bring forward the curfew had been held.
"There is nobody who can issue a directive regarding anything except the National Government, I have not spoken to him because the issuance of the signings and everything comes from the Public Order Act and that is what people should follow.
"I have not heard anything like that and the government has not discussed anything of that sort, I'm not aware of it," asserted Kagwe.
Majevdia was quoted saying, "The government knows well that if it closes the town by 3 p.m. very few people will go to town...curfew can also be extended within the estates."
The government on Wednesday, May 6, moved to partially lockdown Eastleigh and Old Town, Mombasa following a surge in the number of Covid-19 cases in the two areas.
Asked about the measures the government was planning with normalcy returning in various parts of Nairobi, the Health CS had this to say.
"The standing policy position is that we always watch and see how the situation escalates or deescalates and then take measures accordingly.
"We will be observing to see what is happening in the country and see whether it is dangerous to the citizens and then we take actions accordingly, everything is done on the basis of a well-thought-out strategy," added Kagwe.
As of Saturday, May 9 the country had recorded a total number of 649 cases, 207 recoveries and 30 fatalities.
