Government spokesman Cyrus Oguna has defended President Uhuru Kenyatta’s unclear Covid-19 directives issued on Friday.
“The President does not need to give details. Those gaps must be filled by us. He talked about broad issues and details are meant to broken down by people like me,” Oguna said on Saturday.
President Kenyatta’s directive on Friday left the country confused, with Kenyans seeking clarification on some orders.
Among the orders Uhuru gave was the cessation of movement in and out of the five counties of Machakos, Nakuru, Nairobi, Kajiado and Kiambu. This was effective Saturday.
His statement was (mis)interpreted differently in different quarters.
It is this confusion that led State House Chief of Staff Nzioka Waita to send a clarification minutes after the President’s speech.
But even with this clarification, Kenyans were still not sure of what the President said.
“Why don’t State House people make communication simple so everyone understands once when the President speaks. Why [do] the need to explain after the big man has spoken?” a social media user asked.
Kenya Private Sector Alliance also sent a statement to clarify some of the presidential orders. The statement was headlined, “Presidential Covid-19 directives clarification on movement of goods and people”
In the statement, Kepsa said the curfew passes, which Uhuru said had been revoked, are valid until March 30 mid-day.
The President had directed Interior CS Fred Matiang’i to come up with new protocols.
Oguna also said holders of curfew passes will continue to use them until new ones are issued by Tuesday next week.
“The procedure of application for new passes remain the same. This applies to healthcare workers, and Journalists, among others,” Oguna’s statement said. BY THE STAR