• Governors have indicated they will push for the reintroduction of tough measures to curb the virus.
• Possible lockdown and increased curfew hours are among measures on the cards, with the President expected to meet the National Security Council later in the week.
Image: PSCU
President Uhuru Kenyatta is on Wednesday set to hold a crucial meeting with governors to agree on how to manage Covid-19 second wave amid lockdown fears.
Governors have indicated they will push for the reintroduction of tough measures to curb the virus.
Possible lockdown and increased curfew hours are among measures on the card, with the President expected to meet the National Security Council later in the week to make a decision.
Council of Governors chairman Wycliffe Oparanya on Tuesday said counties are getting overwhelmed.
“There needs to be tougher measures that would contain the spread of Covid because even as we speak, most counties are experiencing a spike in admissions,” the Kakamega governor said.
Oparanya said the Wednesday meeting will review the surge for the last two months and design the next steps aimed at slowing down the rate of infection.
“The President will make a decision after studying the trends and projections from experts,” he said.
The meeting will be the sixth Extraordinary Session of the National and County Governments Coordinating Summit.
The country is under a 11pm-4am curfew without any lockdown after the President reviewed strict measures initially imposed to curb spread.
Experts have warned that blatant disregard of public health protocols have resulted in increased cases of community infections that now threaten to roll back the gains made in the virus fight.
Last Sunday, Uhuru hinted at possible return to stricter virus containment measures in a bid to tame the surge.
“We are going through that difficult time where we are now wondering what to do. Do we close up? We shall be coming back to that. Not today, but soon,” Uhuru said when he attended a church service at the All Saints Cathedral, Nairobi.
He admitted that the country was in a serious problem following the surge in the infections in the last few weeks.
“We don’t have to (close) if only people would observe and would be caring for their fellow citizens. It is possible to keep Covid at bay and lead a normal life,” he said.
The disease has killed 1,027 people in the country and infected 56,601 others.
The meet is also likely to address the resumption of learning in institutions across the country after the phased reopening last month.
Politicians and national leaders, among them the President, Deputy President William Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga, have come under sharp scrutiny for leading Kenyans in flouting Covid-19 protocols in the ongoing BBI campaigns.
Leaders have been holding public gatherings across the country without social distancing, wearing of masks and sanitising as directed by the Ministry of Health and the WHO.
Revellers at social joints and worshippers have also been in the spotlight for violating regulations.
The blatant disregard for the regulations is being blamed for the surge in cases, with hospitals said to be overwhelmed.
Edited by EKibii