KENYA: Inter-faith Council Calls for Preparedness for Safety As Places of Worship Re-open

Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA

After President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta announced the phased re-opening of public worship in conformity with all applicable health guidelines and protocols to ensure safety of congregants, the Inter-Faith Council that was constituted by government mid-June has asked citizens not to be in a hurry but to prepare well so as to prevent the risks that may lead to spread of Coronavirus when the faithful attend worship.

“Let us not rush without preparations. We all understand the great eagerness and longing we have, but with some patience and preparations we can safely reunite in our places of worship,” reads press statement of the Inter-Faith Council signed by the chairman, Archbishop Anthony Muheria.

The Council invites all religious leaders to be concerned about the lives of the congregants as it assures all citizens that “together we can safely manage the return to our places of worship.”

The faith leaders who have had eight consultation meetings to collect suggestions on the matter advised that there must be a pre-opening stage before full-phased reopening of places of worship, followed by other phases dependi

**Archbishop Anthony Muheri**
**of the Nyeri Archdiocese**
**and members of Inter-Faith Council**

ng on the situation of the infection trend and the level of compliance during congregational gatherings.

In his address on Monday, July 6, President Uhuru Kenyatta asked the Inter- Faith Council “to take up the task of sensitizing and publicizing” the guidelines they have developed towards resumption of worship.

In response, the Council stated in their statement, “We have planned together with a number of other religious leaders to visit the counties to share and get feedback of these guidelines in order to accommodate new ideas, and assure that all religious leaders are well versed.”

“We believe that the religious leaders have a key role to play in effectively fighting the Covid-19, by taking the frontline in advocacy and spiritual persuasion of the congregants,” they added.

Besides, the Inter-Faith Council recommends the formation of Interfaith Committees at the Sub-county, and County levels to help oversee the compliance of congregations in all places of worship to the guidelines.

“We encourage self-regulation, and we expect responsibility of the faith leaders in ensuring that the guidelines are followed,” reads their statement dated Tuesday, July 7, adding, “Each congregation is advised to form a Covid-19 response committee to help implement and oversee compliance to the guidelines.”

The Council further asks all citizens to strictly comply with the guidelines already issued by the Ministry of Health adding, “Children under the age of 13 years and persons over the age of 58 years are encouraged to keep at home in the first phases of re-opening,” and “the duration of the congregational worship should not exceed 60 minutes.”

To ensure the safety of each and every congregant, the religious leaders urge all Kenyans to open places of worship in an orderly and prepared way saying, “This will facilitate that all are equally prepared and informed.”