Kenya courts closed almost a month amid virus

Kenya's courts have been closed for nearly a month now due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.

The country has imposed restrictions on movement and a curfew.

With most court rooms empty, judges and lawyers are self-isolating and only trying urgent cases, online.

Some lawyers are calling this a dereliction of justice while human rights activists worry that rights and the rule of law have been suspended in the time of COVID-19.

Two civilians, including a 13-year-old, were killed by the police this week as it enforced the curfew.

A man was arrested trying to get home along the county borders between Nairobi and Machakos. He will probably not see a judge because of the court closures.

Kenya's courts have been trying to hear urgent cases via video links once a week.

But the accumulation of cases and the challenges of administering justice online will probably mean that justice, in the time of coronavirus, will not be easily served.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and could lead to death.