Uhuru Kenyatta extends nationwide curfew to January 2021, suspends political rallies for 60 days

Kenyans will be forced to celebrate the transition from December 31, 2020 to January 1, 2021 within the confines of their houses.

This is after President Uhuru Kenyatta extended the nationwide curfew aimed at curbing COVID-19 spread to January 3, 2021.

In his address to the nation on Wednesday, November 4, Uhuru adjusted the curfew time from the current 11pm to 4pm to 10pm to 4am amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in the country.

At least 300 Kenyans have succumbed to COVID-19 in Kenya in the month of October with the infection rate surging from 4% in September to 16% in October.

The trends have alarmed the government and Kenya Medical Association members bringing about the urgent interventions to tame the virus from further spreading.

Here are key points key measures announced by Uhuru:

• All Cabinet Secretaries, Chief Administrative Secretaries and Principal Secretaries have been directed to scale down contact engagements and embrace virtual engagements.
• All state and government officer aged above 58 years have been directed to work from home except those working on critical departments.
• Grade Four, Class Eight and Form Four students who went back to school should continue with classes with those still at home shall officially resume in January.
• All political gatherings and rallies are suspended for a period of 60 days. This is good news to medical association workers who had made this proposal to the government.
• The ministry of interior has been directed to form a special unit to enforce all COVID-19 protocols.
• The curfew will now be enforced from 10pm to 4am and has been extended to January 3, 2021.
• All bars and restaurants must be closed at 9pm.
• Eateries and entertainment joints to comply with COVID-19 guidelines failure to which the premises will be shutdown.
• Religious gatherings guidelines remain unchanged. They have been instructed to restrict gatherings to a third of the capacity of their premises.
• The national government will issue localised lockdown in counties high cases of COVID-19 to counter the spread of the virus.
• No mask no service. The president said wearing of masks is a statutory requirement.

1/2 President Uhuru Kenyatta is currently chairing the Sixth Extraordinary Session of the National and County Governments Co-ordinating Summit, a virtual conference to review the surge of #COVID19 infections in the country.#KomeshaCorona pic.twitter.com/SVopDarLpg

— State House Kenya (@StateHouseKenya) November 4, 2020