NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 5 – President Uhuru Kenyatta has announced that schools will fully resume in January 2021 even as he announced new measures to combat the rising COVID-19 cases.
The President said learners in Grade 4, Standard Eight and Form Four who reopened last month will proceed with their national examinations, but directed the Ministry of Education to enforce strict COVID-19 regulations.
“With respect to the examination classes, I order that they continue with their learning under heightened health safety measures, and with that also I order that all basic education classes resume in-person learning in January of 2021,” the President said.
He urged Members of Parliament to make use of the Constituency Development Fund in enhancing COVID-19 containment measures in learning institutions including installing handwashing points and provision of masks, in readiness for the re-opening in January.
But even as the president set the new school re-opening date, several schools have closed since last week following increased COVID-19 infections.
He also reviewed curfew hours to start at 10 pm to 4am until January 3, 2021.
The President said the decision was taken due to increased infections and deaths which had gone up since August when some of the tough restrictions were lifted.
He ordered civil servants aged above 58 years and those with compromised immunity to work from home, also urging the private sector to comply.