President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday, September 9, shared his thoughts on the the time frame of lifting the nationwide dusk-to-dawn curfew.
Speaking during an impromptu morning stopover in Ruaka, the President said that he would not risk the lives of Kenyans.
"We need to be cautious. You have all seen how people are dying in other countries. Let us first come together and beat this thing then I can open up the restrictions because I know the youth want jobs," he said.
In an amateur video shared by one of the residents, the crowd can be seen and heard pushing the president to commit to lifting the curfew that has effectively ended all night time enterprises.
The Head of State was quick to point out the surge in COVID-19 cases in countries that had opted to ease restrictions without data to justify the move.
The steady drop in the number of COVID-19 positive cases that have been witnessed in Kenya since the middle of August has raised hopes on the country’s ability to flatten the curve.
Speaking during a press briefing on September 7, Health CAS Rashid Aman confirmed that the country was indeed headed in the right direction, but directed Kenyans to be cautiously optimistic.
President Uhuru echoed the CAS's sentiments during his unexpected speech in Ruaka.
"I know everyone is eager to get back to work but I urge you all to take this virus seriously," he stated.
On August 26, Uhuru said that Kenya had managed to suppress COVID-19 transmissions thanks to a combination of progressive leadership and responsible behavior among citizens.
He further added that Kenya was headed towards achieving a 5% positivity rate that is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to inform the full reopening of the economy.
However, on August 31, WHO advised that the decline of the coronavirus numbers in Kenya ought to be treated with caution.
"For now we would warn against premature relaxation of the effective measures put in place by the Kenyan government," WHO said.
"We advice that the wearing of masks, the frequent washing or sanitising should remain in place," the world body's statement read in part.
{"preview_thumbnail":"/files/styles/video_embed_wysiwyg_preview/public/video_thumbnails/YU7EnhmvAw8.jpg?itok=9IF0AHJl","video_url":"
