KENYA: Archbishop Muheria Appointed to Head Inter- Faith Council on Resumption of Worship
Inauguration of Inter-Faith Council
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
The government of Kenya has set up an Inter-Faith Council that will be headed by Archbishop Anthony Muheria of Nyeri Archdiocese to look into modalities of reopening places of worship which were closed in March as a measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“Honouring the sacrifices made by Kenyans of all faiths; noting their enormous patience and forbearance in being unable to exercise their religious rights in the normal way; and recognizing the need to develop protocols that will guide the re-opening of places of worship” Government of Kenya has appointed 16 members from various faith communities to form council as gazette on Friday, June 12.
The Council that was inaugurated on Wednesday, June 17, has been mandated to develop stringent protocols for phased re-opening of places of worship; guidelines towards the gradual and progressive resumption of in-person congregational worship that adheres to physical and social distancing guidelines; protocols for the celebration of weddings and other religious ceremonies in ways compliant with the guidelines; protocols for religious funerals, gravesides and crematoria last rites and send-off; to develop a programme for public sensitization and capacity-building of all religious leaders and clergy on the protocols.”
Archbishop Muheria noted during the inauguration that “the council’s efforts will only be successful if Kenyans are willing to comply with government regulations, among them social distancing and proper sanitation.”
The Church leaders “shall be answerable to the President of the Republic of Kenya, through the National and County Governments Co-ordinating Summit,” the Gazette notice reads.
The Inter- Faith Council will “Solicit, receive and consider any written memoranda or information from the public; and conduct any other actions or activities required for the effective discharge of its mandate.”
The mandate of the Council “shall lapse on 31st December, 2020; but may be extended at the discretion of His Excellency the President.”
Other members of the Inter-Faith Council include Rt. (Rev.) Bishop John Oballa, Rt. (Rev.) Bishop Joseph Obanyi, Rt. (Rev.) Moderator Julius Mwamba, Rev. (Can.) Chris Kamau Kinyanjui, Rev. (Can.) Rosemary Mbogo, Pastor (Dr.) Samuel Makori, Al Hajj Hassan Ole Naado, Sheikh Sukyan Hassan Omar, Sheikh Abdulatif Abdulkarim, Rev. (Fr.) Joseph Mutie, Bishop (Dr.) David Oginde, Rev. Connie Kivuti, Sujata Kotamraju, Rt. Rev. (Dr.) Samuel Thiong’o Mwangi and Sheikh Ali Saidi Samojah.
