Starting Friday, there shall be a daily curfew from 7pm-5am in Kenya, with all unauthorized movement prohibited, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced Wednesday.
President Kenyatta also said the police and the Kenya Coast Guard will take over operations of Kenya Ferry Services.
Earlier in the day, Transport CS James Macharia had directed that public service vehicles be allowed to ferry passengers on board provided they follow the guidelines provided by the Ministry of Health in regards to social distancing.
“With this arrangement in place, passengers should not board the ferry for the next 30 days,” Macharia said in a letter.
With the curfew order, only health workers and those working in critical installations such as security will be allowed out between 7pm and 5am.
“This shall be in effect in the Republic of Kenya, with all movement by persons not unauthorised to do so ir not being medical health workers, critical and essential service providers being prohibited between these hours,” Uhuru said.
The complete list of the critical installations will be released in due course, the President said.
The development comes as the President further said more people had contracted the virus but one has healed from the Covid-19 disease. Kenya now has 27 Coronavirus cases.
Meanwhile, Ethiopia Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed called Sudan PM Abdalla Hamdok, Somalia President Mohamed Farmaajo, Djibouti’s Ismail and Oguelleh, Kenyatta and Salva Kiir of South Sudan and agreed to work in a coordinated manner to respond to emerging Coronavirus challenges.
“Our regional integration goals need not be hampered if we align and lead with collective interests,” Abiy said.
“IGAD member countries as a regional bloc can play a key leadership role to curtail the spread of COVID-19 and to effectively address the economic hurdles that this virus poses,” the PM added.
