• Uhuru said this should include all learning institutions across the country.
• Uhuru said should the situation deteriorate the country will have to revert to a lockdown.
Image: COURTESY
President Uhuru Kenyatta has directed Education CS George Magoha to notify the public on the resumption of the 2020 academic year.
Uhuru in his address to the nation on Monday from Harambee House said the announcement should be made not later than tomorrow (Tuesday).
Uhuru said this should include all learning institutions across the country.
The head of state said the country has been confronted with a dilemma of two rights whether to reopen or not.
The President lifted the cessation of movement in Nairobi Metropolitan Area, Mombasa and Mandera counties from Tuesday, June 7, 2020.
However, the President extended the nationwide curfew currently in place between 9 pm and 5 am by another 30 days.
Uhuru said after much reflection on the rate of infection of the coronavirus across the country, his administration had opted for the health argument to economic by placing the irreducible minimums for reopening.
“We can revive the economy but cannot bring back to life those who die from this disease. At that time we agreed and held meeting with council of governors to review these irreducible,” Uhuru said.
He added, “We regards to reopening schools we need to ask ourselves as a country whether we have met these irreducible minimums and if we ready to reopen”.
Uhuru said stakeholders and experts have advised that as a country we are yet to meet the said irreducible.
“However after further dialogue, we have agreed that we have reached a reasonable level of preparedness across the country. With this expert opinion I announce a phased reopening of the country as follows,” he said.
Uhuru however said should the situation deteriorate the country will have to revert to a lockdown.
“We shall have 21 days to study interactions and spread of the disease. We will have no choice but return to lockdown if proven otherwise,” he said.
He said the call to reopen is a national call to civic responsibility which is not a demand placed on individuals by state but a voluntary act of good will owed to fellow countrymen.
Health CAS Dr Rashid Aman on Sunday said it is not possible to get all the 300,000 teachers tested ahead of the schools' reopening scheduled for September.
Aman said the situation is made worse by the cost of conducting the tests and difficulties being experienced in the supply lines.
This comes after Education CS George Magoha said that all teachers and support staff be tested for the Coronavirus before schools resume.
Magoha last week said the tests should be conducted two weeks before schools reopen and another test done 14 days after reopening.
Kenya is estimated to have 317,069 teachers and millions of learners across primary and secondary schools.
Kenya would require about Sh1 billion to conduct the test on these teachers.