President Uhuru Kenyatta has today shrank hopes for schools reopening soon. During his twelfth Presidential address, Uhuru has said schools will only be reopened once learners safety is guaranteed.
This contradicts the earlier statement by Education CS Prof. Magoha who had said the decision for reopening of schools lies with the President.
However the President did not announce the dates for resumption of basic learning institutions as was expected but instead directed the Education CS to look into the matter and come up with a school calendar.
Thousands of teachers have already reported into their stations after been directed by their employer TSC.
The schools were closed in March when the first case of Covid-19 was reported. Today 53 cases have been reported from 1,107 samples bringing the totals to 38,168.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has also announced an extension of the daily dusk-to-dawn curfew for an additional 60 days to avert the spread of the coronavirus.
The curfew time has however been adjusted from 9pm to 11 pm with directives expected to take effect from Tuesday, September 29.
“The daily dusk-to-dawn curfew will therefore run from 11pm to 4am in the morning,” President Kenyatta said.
The prohibition against the operation of bars and the prohibition against the sale of alcoholic drinks by ordinary restaurants and eateries has been lifted effective Tuesday, September 29.
“Mnaweza kukunywa pombe, sawa (you can now consume alcohol),”President Kenyatta said.
Closing time for all bars and restaurants has been moved to 10pm daily; restaurants will be required to adhere strictly to the COVID-19 containment measures.
Places of worship will be required to adhere to all the applicable guidelines provided by the Ministry of Health.
At the same time, the number of people attending ceremonies such as funerals and weddings has also been reviewed upwards from 100 people to 200.
President Kenyatta was speaking at the KICC on Monday during a COVID-19 conference that preceded the 12th presidential address on the situation of COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
The conference was attended by among others; members of the cabinet, Chief Justice David Maraga, ODM leader Raila Odinga, senators, MPS and church leaders.
During his address, President Kenyatta expressed optimism that the fight against the virus had borne fruits but warned against laxity saying:
“Experience has taught us that we are most vulnerable & fragile at the moment we think we have won…if we have won one battle against COVID-19 we have not yet won the war, the possibility of a second wave of this pandemic is real as we have seen in other countries”