• KNCCI president said the purpose of reopening is to get people back to work and allow them earn their livelihoods with dignity.
"This is a matter of both life and death, prosperity or poverty, as deep recession is likely to cause widespread hardship, including increased mortality rates for reasons other than the virus," he said.
Image: FILE
The Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry has asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to reopen the economy.
The chamber, in a statement to newsrooms on Friday, said the President should lift the total ban on the cessation of movement in the counties and the dusk-to-dawn curfew.
The chamber's President Richard Ngatia said if total lifting of the curfew and ban on movement is not tenable, the curfew hours should be adjusted from 7pm to 10pm.
Ngatia said 80 per cent of Kenya's population lives off the informal economy with day - to - day earnings."This means if they don't work, they don't eat. We hold the view that safety remains a priority and also appreciate the fact that life has to go on to allow people to have an opportunity to have a daily meal, income and at the very least, be facilitated to meet basic daily necessities," Ngatia said.
Ngatia said lifting the curfew and ban on movement will ease the current pressure on the economy.He said the partial reopening of the economy means it is still far from business as usual as businesses are still grappling with a high level of individual responsibility to abide by the Covid-19 protocols.
"We should now be alive to the fact about what the new normal should be and abide by all the health guidelines set. KNCCI hereby candidly implores upon his Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta to gradually reopen the economy," Ngatia said.
He said the purpose of reopening is to get people back to work and allow them earn their livelihoods with dignity."This is a matter of both life and death, prosperity or poverty, as deep recession is likely to cause widespread hardship, including increased mortality rates for reasons other than the virus," he said.
Ngatia said if the laid down reopening procedures fail to limit and mitigate any rebounds or outbreaks of the Covid-19 pandemic, then the state and all stakeholders, especially the business community, should be ready to go back to corrective actions depending on the severity of the situation.
The chamber said the entertainment industry, hotels, airlines, tour operators, learning institutions and public transport sectors should be the targets of the first wave of lockdown release as they are less suitable for virtual work and play an important role in the revival of the economy.
According to the chamber, the mentioned sectors have endured the harshest negative effects of the pandemic with containment measures put in place.
Their statement comes amid rising calls for the government to reopen the economy.
The matatu sector earlier on asked the government to lift the ban on inter-county movement and adjust curfew hours from 7pm to at least 10pm.
The sector also said that instead of the restrictions, the government should allow certified drivers and conductors to move in these containment counties within 6am to 7pm.
So far Kenya has confirmed 1,618 Covid-19 cases with 58 deaths since the first case was reported on March 13.