Kenyans eager for partial economy reopening in May

The majority of Nairobi households see the coronavirus containment measures easing across the country in May, a new survey shows, underlining suppressed optimism.

The survey by African Business Partners (ABP), a Japanese investment firm, sampled households with smartphones, internet access and monthly incomes of up to Sh50,000.

The majority — 77 percent of the households — are optimistic of partial reopening of the economy next month as the pandemic is put under control.

More than half of the 77 percent believe that the country will record more gains in the fight against the respiratory virus while 37 percent expressed optimism that the outbreak would be under control.

The show of optimism is in sharp contrast with the Ministry of Health’s previous projection that had that had predicted 5,000 Covid-19 cases by end of April and a peak of at least 10,000 in May.

The country yesterday recorded eight new infections bringing the total number of Covid-19 cases to 363 while recoveries rose to 114, giving a ray of hope in the war on the virus.

“Though media outlets are repeatedly reporting future projections of as high as 10 million cases and 300,000 deaths across Africa, Kenyans seem to have a more optimistic outlook, likely based on the current low case count,” ABP said in the survey.

The majority of the respondents further said they had turned to mobile money for payment of bills and purchase of goods, reducing physical handling of cash in line with directives by the Health ministry and Central Bank of Kenya to curb spread of the respiratory virus.

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Saturday said some restaurants and hotels would be allowed to resume normal operations from 5am to 4pm while re-opening of schools has been pushed to the first week of June as the State moves to re-open an already battered economy.

The state last month ordered all eateries to offer on take-away meals in efforts to cut mass gatherings and curb spread of the virus in a move that has seen most send their staff on leave amid drastic drops in revenues.

The survey shows that 53 percent of the respondents said state measures like social distancing, the dusk-to –dawn curfew and ban on public gatherings has reduced the transmission of the virus.