Nominated Senator Millicent Omanga has harshly criticized Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Fred Matiang’i’s order that all bars remain after 5 pm during the census exercise.
Omanga termed the directive as “unwarranted, unjustifiable and punitive to business people and to lovers and admirers of booze.”
Additionally, she expressed her concerns over the losses Kenyans will make especially those who rely on those businesses to make a living.
She exclaimed: “…They’ll have no cash to pay their employees, suppliers, and landlords.”
Read: Government Orders Closure Of Bars By 5PM During Census
According to her, Kenyans can be counted from anywhere and at any time, adding that the CS should have been considerate before making the order.
Her sentiments come a day after CS Matiang’i ordered that all ‘social places especially bars’ to be closed at 5 pm so that enumerators find Kenyans at home for the census.
Matiang’i noted that all bars should remain closed on Saturday and Sunday by 5 pm. He has also asked the police to implement the directive.
Lodgings will, however, remain open during the period, government spokesman Cyrus Oguna has said.
Earlier on, all police officers were recalled from leave to facilitate the week-long exercise that starts on Saturday.
“Please note that you are all directed to ensure that all officers on leave are asked to report back to their duty stations by Thursday, August 22.
Read also: Machakos County Gov’t Orders Closure Of Bars, Shops During Census
Officers will be informed on when to resume or take their leave at a later date,” Japhet Koome said in a statement.
This will be Kenya’s sixth national census since independence and it is meant to gather reliable and detailed data on the size and distribution of the population in the country.
It will also be the first to recognize the intersex population.
The one week survey will involve 138,572 enumerators, 22,268 content supervisors and 2,467 ICT supervisors.
The exercise will end on August 31.
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