Lift night curfew now, leaders allied to DP Ruto tell President

Kipchumba Murkomen

Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen addresses a congregation at House of Hope Church in Kayole on January 10, 2021.

Photo credit: Sila Kiplagat | Nation Media Group

Deputy President William Ruto’s allies now want President Uhuru Kenyatta to lift the night curfew imposed in the country to help curb the spread of Covid-19.

Senators Kipchumba Murkomen (Elgeyo Marakwet), Aaron Cheruiyot (Kericho) and Christopher Langat (Bomet)led MPs in calling for full re-opening of the economy to allow businesses to thrive.

“It has become more evident with time that the common man has suffered the most with loss of jobs and income while a few of the rich continue to enrich themselves as a result of the measures imposed by the Ministry Of Health to contain the spread of coronavirus,” said Mr Murkomen.

The former Senate majority leader said there was need to lift the ban on travel and trading at night in order to turn around the economy and bring more people on the tax bracket. 

“It is unfortunate that while other countries have re-opened their economies, Kenya is still having hers closed, making us dependent on unreasonable external borrowing that will take decades to repay,” said Mr Murkomen.

Kericho Woman Rep Florence Bore and her Bomet counterpart Joyce Korir, MPs Kimani Ngunjiri (Bahati), Dominic Koskei (Sotik), Japeth Mutai (Bureti), Beatrice Kones (Bomet), Sylvanus Maritim (Ainamoi), Oscar Sudi (Kapseret), Kipsenget Koros (Soin/Sigowet), Didmus Barasa (Kimilili), Hillary Koskei (Kipkelion West) and nominated ODM MP Wilson Sossion were speaking in Bomet and Kericho counties during the weekend.

“The hospitality and transport industry are the most affected, with many companies having folded altogether and laid off thousands of workers, others have been forced to scale down their operations due to curfew orders, yet the government has not cushioned them,” said Mr Ngunjiri