In contrast, Health Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, while allowing the hospitality industry in Kenya to re-open, directed that they undergo mandatory testing of staff for the virus, space tables and seats for social distancing and sell alcohol only when a customer orders a meal.
Most of them have had to send their staff on unpaid leave while some have shed jobs, and this has led to yet another challenge that is likely to hurt the hospitality industry in the medium and long-term — the loss of intellectual property (IP).
Hospitality employees are among those already feeling the heat of these restrictions, forcing the government to write to industry players, such as the Fairmont Norfolk, to question the rationale for the termination of employment for all staff.
One of the unintended consequences of the closure of top hotels is the loss of skilled manpower, trained at great cost to become the best in the hospitality industry.
Unlike other industries, such as manufacturing, the hospitality industry sells customer experience.