Kenya Gov’t Deploys 70,000 Police Officers to Enforce Dusk-to-Dawn Curfew

The government has deployed over 70,000 police officers to enforce the dusk-to-dawn curfew that takes effect on Friday, March 27th at 7 pm.

The daily 10-hour restriction was announced by President Kenyatta on Wednesday and is part of the government’s measures to combat the spread of coronavirus in the country. Kenyans are required to remain within the confines of their homes from 7 pm to 5 am.

Police spokesperson Charles Owino warned that anyone caught violating the curfew risks getting a three-month jail sentence as stipulated in the Public Order Act.

“Any person who contravenes any of the provisions of a curfew order or any of the terms or conditions of a permit granted to him under subsection (1) of this section shall be guilty of any offense and liable to a fine not exceeding Ksh 1,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months, or to both such fine and such imprisonment,” the Act states.

On Thursday, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i gazetted the curfew, making it legal. “Under this order, there shall be no public gatherings, processions or movement either alone or as a group during the period of the curfew,” said Matiang’i in the notice.

Those who provide essential services including medical professionals, health workers, sanitation officers, administration officers, licensed pharmacies and drug stores, media personnel, and Kenya Power & Lightening Company officers were exempted from the curfew.

Others are food dealers, wholesalers and transporters of farm produce, supermarkets and mini-supermarkets, fuel distributors and retailers, telecommunication operators, banks and financial service providers, fire brigade and emergency response services and security companies.

Kenya has so far confirmed 31 cases of Covid-19, one recovery, and one death.