The government is not considering imposing a total lockdown in Kenya to deal with Covid-19 pandemic, President Uhuru Kenyatta has revealed.
Speaking to Swahili radio stations on Wednesday morning, President Kenyatta called on Kenyans to comply with the restrictions and guidelines issued by the government to avoid more extreme measures.
With Muslim faithful set to begin observing their holy month of Ramadhan, the Head of State urged them to emulate Christians who complied with social distancing rules and avoided congregating in public because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The President waded into the rent waiver debate, saying that the state respects private property and can only urge landlords to be humane by considering relief to tenants.
Speaking about dozens of people who are said to have escaped from quarantine at the Kenya Medical Training College in Nairobi, President Kenyatta said the culprits will be tracked and returned to the facility.
About 50 people are said to have taken advantage of heavy rains in Nairobi to give security guards the slip at KMTC, Nairobi and jump over the fence to freedom where they risk exposing Covid-19 to unsuspecting people.
On the issue of mistreatment of Kenyans abroad following widespread condemnation of handling of Africans in China recently, Mr. Kenyatta said the country is dealing with it case by case.
“We are dealing with this issue case by case. We have Kenyans across the world. We are looking into how to help them to bring them home. The problem doesn’t only affect Kenyans, even UK nationals. There are no passenger flights operating now until the normal state of affairs resumes,” said the Head of State.
Further, Mr. Kenyatta said national examinations are still on as scheduled, assuring anxious learners and education stakeholders that measures will be put into place to ensure they recover lost time once the pandemic is contained.
On a lighter note, the President said the government may have to increase maternity funding in the near future as the lockdown seems destined to increase birth rates.
