At least one million Kenyans have lost their jobs or have been put on indefinite unpaid leave as the Covid-19 pandemic morphs into a major jobs crisis.

The pain of the firm's staff is shared by others in more than 1,932 private secondary and 8,000 private primary schools in the country who have taken similar or worse actions.

Jointly, private schools employ hundreds of thousands of teachers and other support staff such as security guards, clerks, receptionists and messengers.

Mr Evans Muriu, a communication manager at SecurKenya Group Ltd, which employs more than 1,000 guards, says because of the pandemic, its key clients, among them hotels and malls, have cut down on their operations.

Last week, East African Portland Cement Company (EAPCC), majority owned by the National Treasury and pensioners, announced a voluntary early retirement programme as part of a continuing staff rationalisation plan.