Kenya’s President announced #lockdown to reduce spread of Coronavirus in the five counties of Nairobi, Kajiado, Machakos, Kiambu and Nakuru – that has now passed. Pole sana to my friends in and around #Nairobi as President Uhuru Kenyatta announced another #lockdown Friday 26th March 2021.
UPDATE: Saturday, 1 May 2021. NAIROBI – Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has lifted the COVID-19 lockdown; curfew hours in the Zoned Area are revised to 10 pm to 4 am and restaurants can reopen. Across Kenya, bars can operate until 7 pm; education institutions and sporting activities can resume; nevertheless, Kenyans are encouraged to work from home.
Photo of Nairobi – pre-lockdown – photo courtesy of @Kasyokall and @Kenyapics.
Nairobi has been experiencing a third wave of COVID-19 infections and Kenya is reporting the highest rates of Coronavirus infections since the pandemic began one year ago. Kenya’s rate of COVID-19 positives jumped from 2% to 22% between January and March 2021; Nairobi accounts for nearly 60% of those cases. (Note: Coronavirus infections are predicted to spike again in Uganda as a result of rainy season weather).
However, it’s not all gloom and doom. Jomo Kenyatta (Nairobi) and Moi International (Mombasa) Airports are still open for visitors coming on safari and beach holidays in Mombasa, Diani, Watamu and beyond.
Some key points about #NairobiLockdown for anyone who is in Nairobi (or “the five counties”) or who is planning to travel to Kenya:
- No movement by road, rail and air in and out of the counties of Nairobi, Kajiado, Machakos, Kiambu and Nakuru until further notice. (Anyone got a camel I can borrow?) 🐪 🤭
- You can move freely within the five counties but you can’t leave or enter the ‘One Zoned Area.’
- International arrivals into Nairobi are still permitted, as long as travellers have a negative COVID-19 test that is no more than 96 hours old.
- For my Ugandan readers: my understanding is you can still fly from Entebbe International Airport to Nairobi or from Entebbe to the Coast but internal flights (e.g. between Nairobi and the coast will cease on Monday 29th March 2021).
- International buses are affected too (and had only just restarted)… 😥
- The only bus service that Mash are currently operating is the Kitui to Mombasa route.
- No in-person meetings of any kind in the five counties until further notice. This includes sports matches, church services and political meetings.
- Bars are suspended and restaurants can only provide takeaway services and are banned from selling alcohol. Schools and universities are closed (except for those taking exams).
- Everyone has to work from home until further notice, except for those whose services can’t be provided remotely.
- Weddings may have no more than 30 people attending; no more than 50 people are allowed at a funeral.
- Curfew will start at 8 pm and end at 4 am in the five counties. (Elsewhere, Kenya’s nationwide curfew will continue from 10 pm to 4 am for a further 60 days effective from 12 March 2021).
- According to the UK’s Daily Telegraph, the British High Commission in Nairobi has indicated that Kenya is likely to be added to the UK government’s red list. “If you have been in or through any of the countries on the red list in the previous 10 days, you will be refused entry to the UK.” If indeed Kenya is added to the UK’s red list, British tourists will still be allowed to travel to Kenya but they will have to quarantine for ten days when they return home to the UK. That is likely to discourage many. However, since the UK government has banned all international travel until the end of June (at least), you might speculate that this is a ‘storm in a teacup’! By the time Brits are free to travel, Nairobi will have reemerged from lockdown (we hope). I believe it would be extremely unfair – and massively damaging for the Kenyan economy – to add Kenya to the UK’s red list. The biggest number of visitors to Kenya do not even visit Nairobi; they go on safari and they travel to the coast.
- UPDATE April 2 2021 Covid-19: Kenya added to UK’s ‘red list’ travel ban *scroll down to the comments for latest info on what that means*
- The UK has expressed concern that the free movement of people between Tanzania and Kenya during the pandemic has brought COVID-19 variants into Kenya. In April 2020, the late President Magufuli of Tanzania declared the country to be free of COVID-19. He claimed that God had protected Tanzania from the pandemic and ordered reopening of the country’s borders. Despite some border controls (people traveling from Tanzania into Kenya must have a negative Covid-19 certificate), there are many unofficial border crossings. Tanzania has not published statistics on Coronavirus since May 2020 (yet a friend recently attended a festival of 1000+ people in Zanzibar recently!) Keeping the Tanzania border open means that Kenyans who travel to the UK are forced to spend 10 days in government-sanctioned quarantine hotels.
- UPDATE end March 2021 President Suluhu says Tanzania to re-evaluate position on Covid-19 “We cannot isolate ourselves as if we are an Island but also, we cannot accept everything brought to us. We cannot continue just reading about Covid-19 worldwide, yet Tanzania is all blank [sic]. It is incomprehensible,” she said. “Tanzania needs to have its own understanding of where we stand on the issue of Covid-19.”
The new Nairobi lockdown is not good news. I only hope it stems the high rate of COVID-19 infections in and around Nairobi.
I can’t wait to revisit Nairobi. In fact, I’m planning to fly to Nairobi soon (and had my first COVID-19 jab in Kampala last week). Read my blog about the Nairobi Serena Hotel’s ‘architectural, cultural and conservation tour,’ a fascinating voyage of discovery across the continent – all from the hotel.
Thinking of all my friends in Kenya 🤗🇰🇪😷
Such a shame . The UK red list is a farce , even transiting through an airport can put you in a hotel for 10 days . Much love to the people of Kenya .
Let’s hope Nairobi lockdown is quick and effective. As for the red list warning, we pray Kenya is not added to it. Thanks for dropping by
An update from Airkenya Express and KCAA states that they obtained a reprieve to operate evacuation / charter flights for international tourists up to and including 02nd April 2021.
Thereafter, all tourists who would like to fly back to Nairobi for their international flight connection at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) airport (only) will need to get in touch with Airkenya to obtain a special KCAA approval for evacuation flights that shall be considered by the Authority on a case to case basis.
Kenya red listed by UK
From April 9th 2021, the UK will not accept foreign nationals who have travelled from or via Kenya in the previous 10 days. This ban includes transit passengers who are passing through Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
British, Irish and UK residents returning from Kenya to England will be required to quarantine in a government-approved facility for ten days. (Different rules apply for arrivals into Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland).
According to the UK High Commission in Kenya. “The travel restrictions will only remain in place whilst the level of risk is assessed to justify these measures.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 4 Travel Notice for Kenya. “The U.S. Embassy is unable to secure a bed or other medical care for U.S. citizens at private or public hospitals, nor can it provide medical care for private citizens. If one must travel to Kenya at this time, s/he should have travel insurance that includes coverage for an air ambulance evacuation in the event of symptomatic COVID-19. A person cannot travel on a commercial airline out of Kenya if s/he is acutely ill with COVID-19.”
Kenya was one of the first countries to get both the Safe Travels Stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and the World Tourism Network’s (WTN) Safer Tourism Seal.
Some awesome advice here! The thing I had the most difficulty with on my travels were when things didn’t go according to plan. Once I accepted that it was part of travelling, the stress of planning went out the window!
A couple of things that I think could also be useful when packing for your trip –
• Packable poncho! Great in the tropics and only cost a dollar or so!
• Ear plugs – not all overnight bus drivers turn off their music at night!
• Debit card with no international fees!
These helped me no end!
Keep it up muzungu
The East African equivalent would be to pack:
– Kitenge wrap or throw / lessu or Maasai blanket – always useful to sit on, sleep under, wear, dry yourself with, and more
– Ear plugs not easy to buy in Uganda but push your phone earphones in far enough and they usually dull the bus driver’s music (!)
– Better to have a local SIM Card and use mobile money for most transactions. Use a strong password and your money is very safe.
“Kenyan tour guides take COVID-19 vaccine in hopes of tourism revival”
NAIROBI (Reuters) – “Around 250 tour guides from Kenya’s famed national parks lined up in downtown Nairobi on Tuesday to receive the COVID-19 vaccination, as part of a government effort to revive the tourism sector that has been battered by the pandemic.”
https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-kenya-tourism-idUSKBN2CE202