Nairobi residents commend Uhuru for move to lift order
If Blandi Peter, a security officer with Lavington Securities Company had money, he could have travelled to his home in Nyanza this weekend, he told People Daily yesterday after President Uhuru Kenyatta lifted the cessation of movement in and out of the capital Nairobi.
Blandi has almost forgotten the last time he was in the village, but now with the movement restrictions eased, he can start planning his journey.
“I congratulate Mr President for giving us easy time in terms of movement. We have been in Nairobi surviving, and it has been a difficult situation as the economy was doing badly, but now it has come to an end. Thank you Mr President. Thank you so much. God bless you.
“I want to start planning how to visit my people in the village. However, I will have to adhere to the Ministry of Health protocols so that I can prevent from infecting people back at home when I visit,” he said even as Kenyans were divided after.
Masai Market
However largely, most of the Kenyans were happy with the President’s move with Jack Ouma, the chairman, Maasai Market saying opening of Nairobi was a fundamental step especially for business people.
“Many people were locked out there. So now they can come to Nairobi and as well people from the City can go out.
There the President has done very well, but there is one thing I did not understand about the churches. I heard that they will be opened for only 100 members but I didn’t hear when the worship will resume.
I don’t know whether I will be in church on Sunday, but basically what he did today, I applaud him,” he said.
He said he has 2,000 members under the Maasai Market, and most of them were locked out there and could not come to Nairobi, and even buyers for their products come from as far as Mombasa, Eldoret and Kisumu, but all this period of Covid-19 there was no movement.
“We were affected a lot but now they will come, and it is a plus for us,” he added.
Lilian Kanini who runs an MPesa shop and printing business at the Globe Roundabout Business Centre can now smile.
She also applauded the President’s move to re-open the economy, but also agreed that going forward, it all boils down to each and every Kenyan’s individual responsibility.
Restrictions
“Before I thought he will choose the health perspective to the economy, but he went for the latter- to revive the battered economy.
This now means that it is upon us to take care of ourselves,” she said appealing to Kenyans to travel only when it is necessary.
“This is because we must protect those who are in the rural areas from Covid-19 infection.”
On her part, Loina Lydiah, who sells vehicle spare parts, the move to ease the movement restrictions was long overdue as most of her customers are the numerous garages based in the rural areas.
But like any other concerned Kenyan that the movement out of those restricted areas is likely to contribute to rise in coronavirus disease cases, she cautioned Kenyans to be extra careful.
“It is a good idea to reopen the country because this will help improve the business environment. However, it is also a disadvantage to the rural areas people because, the free movement is likely to export the virus to the countryside,” she said.
Shadrack Mwangi and David Mwaura operate boda boda business a long Kijabe Street also congratulated the President for the move saying economy of the country is anchored on movement of goods and services.
“When people go out and come in for instance a city like Nairobi that’s what builds the economy of a country. If he did not open, the country could have been in a more turbulent economic moment.
But now that he has opened, people can move in and out of Nairobi doing business,” Mwaura said.
Uhuru, during a national address yesterday, cautioned that should the situation deteriorate and pose a challenge to health infrastructure, the phased reopening of the country will be reviewed.
