The national and county governments on Wednesday agreed on a raft of COVID-19 response measures that needed to be implemented countrywide to facilitate a gradual re-opening of the country’s economy that has been ravaged by an on-going curfew and movement restrictions.
The measures are aimed at safeguarding Kenyans against adverse health and socio-economic impacts of Covid-19 and include the attainment of a national 30,500 isolation bed capacity within one month.
The summit, chaired by President Uhuru Kenyatta and attended by governors, set the target of 300 isolation beds for each county to deal with the rising cases of infections, which have so far been reported in 35 of the country’s 47 counties.
County governments were also tasked with reviewing their fiscal and strategic plans for 2020 to 2021 financial year to include COVID-19 prevention and control measures.
The meeting also resolved to involve governors in the on-going consultative talks over the re-opening of places of worship, schools, and other learning institutions that have remained shut following the COVID-19 outbreak.
Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha will lead the education sector consultation that is expected to agree on a new school calendar in line with the recent presidential directive to re-open schools in September this year.
The summit resolved to reconvene on Wednesday next week to among other matters, review guidelines for the gradual re-opening of the economy, containment measures currently in place, and protocols for the progressive re-opening of places of worship.
“When this summit sits, its only business in Kenya. No party affiliations; no political distancing; and no ethnic divisionism,” president Kenyatta, cautioned, during the meeting.
“The summit becomes the soul of Kenya. That is why the pronouncements of this gathering, whenever we meet, become articles of our faith in ‘Project Kenya’.
