KENYA: Faith leaders Call for Compliance to Health Safety Guidelines for Reopening of Places of Worship
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
Following the Inter-Faith Council that was constituted by the government of Kenya in mid-June and mandated to develop directives on reopening of places of worship which have been closed since March 2020 as a preventive measure to curb the spread of Covid-19, faith leaders have called for adherence to guidelines which are in tandem with the latest Ministry of Health measures for public health.
“As we progress and prepare our communities for phased reopening, we wish to reiterate one cardinal principle: the safe reopening of the places of worship will depend entirely on our compliance to the current Ministry of Health guidelines and those that the Inter-faith Council will present,” reads in part the Faith-leaders statement signed by the Chairperson of the Council Archbishop Anthony Muheria.
“We urge all our members and congregants to fully embrace the new normal to prevent the spread of Covid-19 virus. This will make it much easier and accelerate the safe reopening of congregational worship,” They noted.
The Inter-Faith Council that was inaugurated Wednesday, June 17, embarked on strategizing for gradual resumption of worship as they received input from religious communities “that will inform the development of the guidelines that are tasked to the council.”
According to the Council comprising of 16 members from various Faith institutions, they are up for the task to fulfil their mandate saying in their statement, “As men and women of faith, we are committed to do what is within our capacity to ensure that proper guidelines and protocols are put in place to ensure the safety of our congregants as the phased opening of worship places are put in places and the celebration of weddings, funerals and other religious ceremonies.”
“As faith leaders, we are keen to listen to the voice of God, the wisdom of science and to the voices of our faithful in addressing this mandate that has been tasked to us,” they added in their press statement issued Saturday, June 27.
The Faith leaders acknowledged receipt of “other presentations by various religious groups and interested persons,” and has urged the “patience” of Kenyans as they conclude the initial development of indicative guidelines.
The Council intends to conduct 10 regional meetings for validation to “ensure the eventual guidelines are in tandem with faith traditions and the input received.”
The members of the Council have appreciated the President for mandating them to serve the nation and for the step the government has taken to for the phased reopening of worship places.
