President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday issued a statement where he declared the beginning of mandatory curfew to curb the spread of coronavirus.
The President ordered the daily coronavirus curfew to start on Friday March 27, 2020.
"The National Security Council of the Republic of Kenya has today [Wednesday] sanctioned and caused the issuance of Public Order Number 1 on the Coronavirus pandemic with the following key aspects; that effective Friday 27th March 2020 there will be a daily curfew from 7pm to 5am in the morning and this shall be in effect in the territory of the Republic of Kenya with all movement by persons not authorized to do so or not being medical professionals, health workers, critical and essential service providers being prohibited between these hours," the President announced.
He directed Interior CS Fred Matiang'i to provide a comprehensive list of all the persons who are allowed to still conduct operations during the curfew.
President Kenyatta explained that the curfew was the only sure way of supporting medics who are in the frontline of fighting the disease.
Ferry services now under police
The Public Order further outlined that the national ferry services will no longer be manged by Kenya Ferry Services Limited but by the National Police Service, the Coast Guard and National Government Administration Officers (Ngao).
"Social distancing whether we like it or not, is our new normal until such a time as we conquer this pandemic. I wish to reiterate that the only effective way to defeat the virus is through basic changes in behaviour and hygiene," Uhuru urged.