President Uhuru Kenyatta lifts ban on movement in Nairobi, Mombasa & Mandera Counties

Uhuru lifts ban on movement in Nairobi, Mombasa & Mandera Counties

Mumbi Mutuko

July 6, 2020 1:17 PM

Uhuru announces reopening of the country

President Uhuru Kenyatta during a recent virtual meeting at Sate House Nairobi

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday announced the removal of cessation of movement into and out of Nairobi, Mombasa and Mandera counties.

Speaking on Monday at Harambee House, President Kenyatta said the order would take place on Tuesday, July 7, 2020 at 4am.

The Head of State stated: "... should the situation deteriorate in the next 21 days, we'll return to lockdown. This exercise is a shared responsibility, behavior of each individual. You must become your brother's keeper."

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President Kenyatta further called on members of the public to be responsible and play their part in ensuring the COVID-19 situation does not worsen.

"By re-opening Nairobi, Mombasa and Mandera, we are more at risk than we were when the restrictions were in place. We must, therefore, exercise cautious optimism, and avoid reckless abandon. I believe that, although the path to recovery is rocky and uneven, it is navigable. And this is why I must give two qualifications to the phased re-opening.

"Firstly, the order to re-open is given conditionally. Should the situation deteriorate and pose a challenge to our health infrastructure, it shall be ‘clawed back’. In the next 21 days, we shall study patterns of interactions and the spread of the disease. Any trends that signal a worsening of the pandemic, we will have no choice but to return to the lock-down at zero-option.

Secondly, this order will only bear fruit, if we exercise shared responsibility. My intention is to re-open and to remain open. The ‘claw back’ option is not on my wish list at all," Kenyatta stated.

Additionally, the President announced the extension of the nationwide 9pm-4am curfew by an extra 30days.