A group of 15 people were arrested on Saturday, June 6, while partying in anticipation for 'good news' in President Uhuru Kenyatta's speech regarding travel and curfew restrictions.
Police officers raided a house in Komarock 3B Estate where they found the group indulging in drinks and nyama choma.
Reports revealed that they had gathered to prepare for President Uhuru's highly anticipated speech, which most expected would usher in the easing of travel restrictions that were imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19.
In the video, the merry-making group could be heard trying to plead with the officers who raided their backyard.
The arrest has elicited mixed reactions, with some questioning the double standards meted out when it came to apprehending people found flouting the ban on social gatherings directive.
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"It's not okay that they were arrested, I saw everything. They were barely 15 people there and it was during daylight. There was better social distancing compared to those meetings politicians have," a user, Chan Faith argued.
Others simply joked that they were still hopeful that the president's speech, in which he extended the cessation of movement in and out of Nairobi for another 30 days, was simply a prank.
"I still have hopes, Uhuru can come back on live TV again and tell us that his initial speech was just a prank before he goes on to read the real one," popular comedian Eddie Butita tweeted.
President Uhuru's June 6th speech was one of the most highly anticipated announcements in recent history.
Majority of Kenyans thought that the partial lockdown within Nairobi and Mombasa would be lifted, but the President made it clear that doing that could potentially lead to a huge surge in Covid-19 cases across the country.
"According to the experts standing behind me, relaxing the interventions by 20% would lead to 200,000 infections and 30,000 deaths by December 2020.
"Further, if we relax the interventions by 40%, the infections will peak in November 2020 with 300,000 infected and 40,000 deaths. And if we relax them by 60%, the pandemic will peak in October with 450,000 infections and 45,000 deaths" he stated.
Speaking to the media following President Uhuru's speech, Kenyans expressed their disappointment, while others lauded the President's move to adjust the dusk to dawn curfew to 9 p.m.
"We had a lot of hope after Health CS Mutahi Kagwe announced that some coronavirus patients would be allowed to go home for treatment," one Kenyan expressed
"I think the reopening of schools in September spells doom. We are all finished as I think the virus will spread uncontrollably among the students," another one stated.
President Uhuru announced that the Ministry of Education would announce the new school calendar by the middle of August 2020, adding that the gradual reopening of education institutions would commence on September 1, 2020.
However, it was his announcement regarding the continued ban on social gatherings and extension of the cessation of movement order that elicited the most reactions, with countless memes of disappointed Kenyans flooding the internet.
"Afadhali uwe hai ndio uweze kula hiyo hepi ambayo unatafuta. Lakini ukiishia hiyo hepi ulikula sikumoja iwe ndiyo itakupeleka kwa kaburi, sioni haja wenzangu. Tutulie,nafasi bado itakuja (You would rather be alive so that you can have fun as you wish. If you enjoy now then it becomes the cause of your death, then its not worth it. Let us be patient and we’ll have time to enjoy), " President Uhuru stated in response to the memes.
