The angry reaction was quick. For many Kenyans, the decision by the United Kingdom to implement a travel ban amounts to betrayal.
Even Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Macharia Kamau joined the chorus of condemnation on Saturday.
But Dr Bitange Ndemo, an economist, said the impact of "the temporal measure" taken by the UK cannot compare with failing to do anything to protect public health.
"These are extraordinary times. It is not about British-Kenya differences but it is because of the pandemic. If we are to mitigate against the long-term impact on trade and other facets of our relationship, we need to follow the measures the government has put in place," Dr Ndemo said.
"We have lost a lot in this pandemic and the quickest thing we can do is to comply and see how we can reduce the infection rate. Some people do not understand it."
Kenya’s failure
For Dr Ndemo, Kenya’s failure to restrict travel to and from South Africa to contain the spread of the new variant of the virus should be blamed for the situation the country finds itself in.
"When the UK banned South Africans from landing there, we should have done the same. Failing to do so is what has led to the present chaos," he said.
Boasting of long ties from the colonial era, the UK is the largest European investor in Kenya.
There are more than 100 British investment companies based in Kenya.
According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) Economic Survey 2020, Kenya’s value of exports to the UK in 2019 was Sh40 billion, second only to The Netherlands (Sh48 billion) in Europe.National carrierWith no timeline as to when the ban could be lifted, even if it is temporary, many businesses will be devastated. Kenya Airways will be one of the most affected.From April 9, KQ will only carry British and Irish nationals and third-country nationals with resident rights in the UK. The national carrier has announced two extra flights to London before the travel ban takes effect on April 9."Due to the increased demand for travel to the UK before the advisory takes effect, we have added two flights on April 4 and 8," KQ said in a statement.The carrier advised customers affected by the directive to reschedule their travel plans or request a refund with penalties waived.Along with KQ, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) will also be badly hit by the UK directive.Regional hubAs a regional hub, […]
