The COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya was a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The virus was confirmed to have reached Kenya on 12 March 2020, with the initial cases reported in the capital city Nairobi and in the coastal area Mombasa.
Background On 12 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019.
The case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower than SARS of 2003, but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll. Model-based simulations for Kenya indicate that the 95% confidence interval for the time-varying reproduction number R t has been lower than 1.0 since August 2021.Future scenarios of the healthcare burden of COVID-19 in low- or middle-income countries, MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis at Imperial College London.
Timeline Kenya has so far experienced seven waves of COVID-19: (1) July–September 2020; (2) October 2020–January 2021; (3) February–July 2021; (4) August–October 2021; (5) November 2021–January 2022; (6) June–July 2022; (7) November–December 2022.
March 2020 On 13 March, the first case in Kenya, a 27-year-old Kenyan woman who traveled from the US via London, was confirmed. The Kenyan government identified and isolated a number of people who had come into contact with the first case. On 15 March, Cabinet Secretary for Health, Mutahi Kagwe, announced that two people who had sat next to the initial patient on the aircraft in transit from the United States had also tested positive for the virus. On 15 March 2020, President Uhuru Kenyatta directed that the following measures to curb COVID-19 be implemented: "Travel from any countries with any case of Corona virus be restricted. "Only Kenyan Citizens, and any foreigners with valid residence permits will be allowed to come into the country provided they proceed on self quarantine or to a government designated quarantine facility. "All schools and higher learning institutions be closed by Friday March 20, 2020. "Government and businesses people start remote work; except essential services. "Cashless transactions over cash. Cost of transactions reduced. "No congressional meetings – weddings, malls, night clubs, churches, limitation of visits to hospitals. "Hospitals and Shopping malls to give soap and water/hand sanitizers, and regular cleaning of facilities. "Cargo vessels, aircraft or ships can come into the country provided they are disinfected at point of departure and the crew quarantined on arrival. "UN Headquarters in Kenya continue operating diplomats travelling to the UN are also exempted from the travel restrictions but observe the self-quarantine rule. "A toll-free number (719) set up to report suspected corona virus cases." Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe banned all social gatherings including religious gatherings on the same date. All flights were banned effective Wednesday 25 March by the Health CS. On 16 March, the government through its spokesman Colonel Cyrus Oguna said on an update that there were another three people who were suspected to be carriers of the virus and that their results were to be released soon. On 17 March, it was announced by the Health Secretary that a fourth case had been diagnosed. On 18 March, three more cases confirmed were by the Health Secretary, bringing the total confirmed cases in Kenya to seven. On 22 March, eight more cases were confirmed by the Health Secretary, bringing the total cases confirmed to 15. The government confirmed it was tracing 363 people who are believed to have had contact with the eight new cases. On 23 March, another case was confirmed bringing the total confirmed cases to 16. On 24 March, nine more cases reported for a total of 25 nationally. On 25 March, the first recovery was confirmed, and three more cases were recorded, bringing the total confirmed cases to 28. On 26 March, three more cases were recorded and bringing the total confirmed cases to 31. In addition to Nairobi, the government confirmed that COVID-19 cases in Kenya are spread among four other counties, namely Kajiado, Mombasa, Kilifi, and Kwale. On the same date, the first death of a person infected with the COVID-19 was reported in Kenya. The patient was a 66-year-old Kenyan man who had recently returned from a business trip in Eswatini and had transited via O. R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is unknown where exactly he contracted the virus. On 28 March, the ministry of health confirmed 7 more cases, bringing a total tally of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Kenya to 38. On the same day, the government announced that 2 patients who had earlier tested positive had tested negative and were awaiting for a second test to confirm they had fully recovered. On 29 March, four more cases were recorded bringing the total confirmed cases to 42. During a briefing on Sunday, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said of the four, one is a Kenyan, one American, one Cameroonian and one a Burkinabé. Mr Kagwe said three of the cases were based in Nairobi and one in Mombasa. The Secretary said of the 42 cases, 24 are male while 18 are females. Nairobi leads with 31 cases followed by Kilifi (six), Mombasa (Three) and Kwale and Kajiado one each. On 30 March, Kenya's coronavirus cases have risen by 8, with the total now standing at 50 that have been confirmed, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe on Monday said that of the eight confirmed cases, six were based in Nairobi, one in Kitui and one in Mombasa. On 31 March, Kenya's COVID-19 cases rose by 9, bringing the total to 59 confirmed cases to date.
April 2020 On 1 April, Kenya's COVID-19 cases rose by 22, bringing the total to 81 confirmed cases to date. Additionally, the Kenyan government confirmed that the first and third reported cases had both full recovered from the virus, bringing the total number of recoveries nationally to three. On 2 April, an additional 29 cases were confirmed bringing the total number of cases to 110 nationally. The government reported one more recovered patient increasing the total recoveries to four. Additionally, two more deaths were confirmed, one from Nairobi and the one in Mombasa, bringing the total number of deaths due to coronavirus to three. On 4 April, 4 more cases were recorded out of a total sample of 325 cases. On 6 April president Uhuru Kenyatta announced a cessation of movement in and out of The Nairobi Metropolitan Area for a containment period of 21 days, other counties affected by the cessation are; Mombasa and Kilifi and Kwale county that would take effect as from 8 April On 8 April, the number of people with COVID-19 increased by 14 confirmed cases as announced by the Health Secretary, bringing the total number to 179. On 9 April, the health cabinet secretary announced an increase in number of confirmed cases by 5 bringing the total number of people with COVID-19 to 184. He also announced an increase in number of deaths to 7. On 10 April, 5 more cases of people who tested positive for the Coronavirus were confirmed as announced by the health secretary, bringing the total number of the confirmed cases to 189, it was also announced that 10 patients who had tested positive for Coronavirus have tested negative and are awaiting to be discharged from Mbangathi hospital, bringing the recovery cases to 22. On 13 April, the total number of cases was announced to have reached 208, with a total of 9 deaths and 40 discharged-and-recovered. On 15 April, the total number of cases was announced to have reached 225, with a total of 10 deaths and 53 discharged-and-recovered. As of 15 April 2020, the Kenyan Ministry of Health reported 9 new cases increasing the total number of cases to 225, 12 new recoveries thus increasing the number of total recoveries to 53. The Ministry also reported 1 new fatality, increasing the total number of fatalities to 10. 2366 people had been tested as of 15 April 2020, 1911 people had been released after testing negative and 455 people were still subject to follow up according to statistics provided by the Kenyan Ministry of Health. The number of confirmed cases reached 396 by the end of April. There had been 17 fatalities while 144 patients had recovered, leaving 235 active cases at the end of the month. In April 2020, the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Mutahi Kagwe, impressed on the need for eating food that boosts immune system as an avenue for beating the COVID-19 pandemic.
May 2020 There were 1566 new cases in May, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 1962. The death toll rose to 64. The number of recovered patients increased to 478, leaving 1420 active cases at the end of the month.
June 2020 On 5 June, The Ministry of Health announced 134 new cases bringing the total number of cases to 2,474 people. The total number of recoveries was 643 and total number of deaths was 79. Samples tested since the pandemic started was 90, 875 On 6 June, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced that the Nationwide dusk to dawn curfew will be extended for a further 30 days but will now run from 9 pm to 4 am. (Previously was 7pm to 5am). The Cessation of Movement into and out of Nairobi Metropolitan Area, Mombasa County and Mandera County was on 6 June, extended for a further 30 days. While the cessation of movement in and out of Eastleigh area in Nairobi Metropolitan Area, Old Town area in Mombasa County, Kilifi County and Kwale County will be lifted as from 4 am Sunday 7 June 2020. The President also announced on 6 June, that schools will 'gradually' open from 1 September. During June there were 4404 new cases, raising the total number of cases to 6366. The death toll more than doubled to 148. The number of recovered patients increased to 2039, leaving 4179 active cases at the end of the month.
July to September 2020 On 6 July, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced the following:- The Cessation of Movement into and out of Nairobi Metropolitan Area, Mombasa County and Mandera County shall be lifted as from Tuesday 7 July at 4 am. Nationwide 9 pm to 4 am curfew extended for a further 30 days. Ban on social gatherings and suspension on operation of bars extended for a further 30 days. Places of worship will also commence phased reopening in strict conformity with all applicable guidelines. However, he noted that no congregants under 13 or over 58 years should be allowed. Those with underlying health conditions have also been cautioned against congregating to worship. Local air travel shall resume as from 15 July under Ministry of Health and Transport guidelines. International flights to resume as from 1 August. On 24 July 2020, government spokesman Cyrus Oguna announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19. There were 14,270 new cases in July, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 20,636. The death toll more than doubled to 341. The number of recovered patients increased by 6,126 to 8,165. At the end of the month there were 12,130 active cases. There were 13,565 new cases in August, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 34,201. The death toll rose to 577. At the end of the month there were 13,731 active cases. There were 4,177 new cases in September, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 38,378. The death toll rose to 707. The number of recovered patients increased to 24,740, leaving 12,931 active cases at the end of the month.
October to December 2020 There were 16,814 new cases in October, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 55,192. The death toll rose to 996. The number of recovered patients increased to 36,963, leaving 17,233 active cases at the end of the month.