Restaurants and eateries will remain open until 5pm despite extension of dawn to dusk curfew.
Health CAS Rashid Aman clarified that the establishments will not have their timings extends till 8 pm as requested on Friday.
Pubs, Entertainment and Restaurants Association of Kenya (PERAK) yesterday sought to have their closing time extended by at least four hours.
We request to be allowed to operate up to at most 8pm, as our operators have their own arrangements for staff accommodation and transport, which means that curfew hours will be observed,” PERAK patron Patrick Muya said.
In their briefing, the association asked the government to crack its whip on establishments that had failed to adhere to the set Covid-19 guidelines “rather than take drastic measures that would indiscriminately impact a whole sector of the economy with dire economic straits.”
Patrick Mbogo, Chairman of the Nairobi Chapter, said that the association had requested the government to take action against establishments found contravening the set rules, but were aware that there were suggestions from some quarters to withdraw all liquor licences from all establishments.
“As the country has worked to contain the spread of Covid-19, the sector has suffered the brunt of the necessary measures to limit the spread of the deadly virus. We have had to close and send our employees home, as we all followed directives by the government,” Mbogo said.
“Earlier this week, we wrote to the Ministry of Health asking for stern action on the establishments that fail to adhere to the guidelines. We took this action as such establishments are a stain on our business and are likely to not only discourage our patrons from coming back. They are also likely to make the Government roll back the measures taken to enable a return to economic activity”.
Eateries were given a reprieve last month to re-open gradually and allowed to operate until 4pm.
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