Political gatherings have been suspended for 60 days, in a move that Uhuru says will seek to tame the rising COVID-19 situation in the country.
He directed that any political meetings should be carried out in community halls and have only a third of the capacity of Hall.
The measures come at the backdrop of chest-thumping BBI vs. opposers campaign that has rocked the country.
President Uhuru Kenyatta, said the measures will take effect immediately until the country attains some level of contagion.
Prior to the announcement, Deputy President William Ruto cancelled his planned rallies, a move that pundits argue would have gone sour if the address was made sooner.
Corona in the dark
While addressing the nation, Uhuru also extended the nationwide curfew to January 3, 2021, running from 10pm to 4am on a daily basis.
While defending the government’s decision to extend the curfew, Uhuru highlighted Kenya’s situation as dire and in need of urgent help. For instance, hospital beds occupancy had shot up by 140%.
“October has gone down as the most tragic month since the pandemic struck the country in March. 38 days later after reopening of the economy, we have experienced a reversal of our gains. The infection icon rate has gone up 140%. Positivity rate is now at 16%,” stated Uhuru.
Other measures included scaling down of in-person engagements in government and urged state offices to embrace virtual meetings.
All civil servants aged above 58 years have also been directed to work from home.
Uhuru emphasized on the need to have collective effort in the fight against COVID-19 in order to avert further challenges in the country.
“You must remember that it is not the govt’s desire to close down the economy, but whether or not we shall remain open will depend on the public’s responsiveness to Covid-19 protocols,” Uhuru concluded.
