KENYA: Kenya Government Urged to Consider Clerics Essential Service Providers in Covid-19 Fight

Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA

Christian clerics from various denominations within the jurisdiction of Kenya’s Malindi Diocese, have asked the government to consider incorporating them among essential service providers in the country towards the fight against Covid-19 pandemic to permit them offer their services freely to the people.

In an interview with AMECEA online Wednesday, May 19, Bishop Willybard Kitogho Lagho of the Catholic Diocese of Malindi who hosted Christian leaders for the first inter-denominational breakfast meeting said, “The government is not considering Churches as offering essential services.”

“We are operating within curfew times, and not all pastors have exemption letters. We ask the government to consider religious leaders as essential service providers and be allowed to show their identity as religious leaders,” Bishop Lagho said.

He continued, “We are being called more often than not for pastoral duties and religious services to provide healing to the people especially now that Covid-19 has brought a lot of challenges in the society.”

While addressing the press after the Monday, May 17, meeting at his residence, the Bishop of Malindi Diocese highlighted that various departments in the country have been listed as essential service providers including medical professionals, national security officers and in some cases the transport sector, “but religion which is like the backbone of human beings and society has been left aside.”

Bishop Lagho whose aim of hosting the meeting was to familiarize himself with co-workers from various denominations within Malindi and to discuss lessons learnt so far from Covid-19 noted that the pandemic has acted as an eye opener to Church leaders.

Sharing some of the lessons the clerics have learnt Bishop Lagho said during the Wednesday interview, “We discovered that many Christians resolved to family prayers unlike before the pandemic; the clergy have learnt the importance of engaging in other income generating activities than depending only on the Christian’s contributions during liturgical services, and at the same time churches have learnt to keep some reserve funds for emergency.”

Reiterating Bishop Lagho’s message, , Bishop Amos Lewa of Joy Fellowship Ministries told AMECEA Online that with the nature of the clerics’ work, “Government can consider issuing the exemption letter through the Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) instead of County Commissioner since some pastors stay far away from the county’s headquarters making it difficult to get the permits.

Bishop Lewa who is also Secretary General of the Coast Interfaith Council of Clerics (CICC) highlighted that during the breakfast meeting which brought together 11 clerics, the church officials discussed the importance of unity among the religious leaders so they can act as one voice whenever there is need.

He appreciated the support various churches have offered to the people of God during the protracted Covid-19 pandemic including, “creating awareness to the people and promoting adherence to issued health measures; collaborating with Government and other agencies in the fight against the pandemic; and offering support to the may needy people in the society both materially and spiritually.”

Other represented denominations during the meeting included the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK), Pentecostal Evangelistic Fellowship of Africa (PEFA), Deliverance Church, Baptist International Fellowship of Africa and Cathedral of Praise International-CPI.