The number of COVID-19 infections in Kenya rose to 253,737 on Friday after the health ministry reported 76 new cases from a sample size of 6,267 tests conducted in the last 24 hours.

The country's virus-related fatalities remain 5,296, with no new deaths recorded in that period.

Kenya's COVID-19 caseload is the seventh-highest in Africa, while its death toll is the eighth-highest.

The country has seen a decline in its caseload in recent weeks, prompting the government to lift some restrictions that had been in place for more than 18 months.

Last month, President Uhuru Kenyatta lifted a nationwide nighttime curfew that was imposed in March 2020. Sports fans are also now allowed to attend games in stadiums, with regard to health protocols.

The Kenyan government rolled out its mass vaccination drive in March 2021, initially targeting groups considered to be at high-risk, including the elderly, healthcare workers and people with underlying conditions.

By Friday, some 5,546,979 vaccine doses had been administered, with the number of fully inoculated people standing at 1,782,212.