A group of protestors took to the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) on Wednesday, March 31, to express their displeasure at President Uhuru Kenyatta's recent directives meant to curb the spread of Covid-19.
In his address on Friday, March 26, the president ordered a raft of measures including banning the sale of alcohol and ordering that restaurants only offer takeaway services in the counties of Nairobi, Kajiado, Machakos, Kiambu, and Nakuru.
Protestors including hotel and bar operators, entertainers and others, held peaceful demonstrations outside Nation media offices and lamented that they had been thrown out of jobs following the directives.
They complained that they were not only unable to pay rent but also to cater to their daily meals.
In their placards, the protestors noted that they wanted the president to unlock the country and go back to work in full adherence to the Covid-19 protocols.
At the same time, the hashtag Unlock our Country, trended on Twitter the better part of the morning, with netizens requesting that the president reduces the measures.
"Let’s hit the streets fellow middle-class Kenyans. Uhuru wants to destroy us and our livelihoods," blogger Cyprian Nyakundi said.
"I have never participated in any demonstrations but this one I'm in. How does Uhuru expect us to survive? Should I fear covid19 more than the fear of my family dying out of starvation?" a netizen Peter Maina questioned.
The protests came a day after a hotel owner in Nairobi's Westlands area broke into tears following the president's directive.
He stated that he was overwhelmed with sadness given that the restaurant had just celebrated two years and had to close yet again.
"It's taking a toll on me and I'm just tired of feeling what I'm feeling and not being able to say it...These are livelihoods and I understand where all this is coming from but it hurts to see all this happen overnight," the entrepreneur stated.
