KENYA: Phase-one Guidelines by Inter-Faith Council Allow more Congregants for Public Worship
Interfaith Council- Guiding Principles
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
Nearly a month after the Inter-faith Council on Covid-19 in Kenya advised a pre-opening stage to permit public worship in the country, the Council has announced the commencement of phase one allowing more congregants to attend prayers.
The new phased reopening will begin Tuesday, August 18.
According to members of the Council in their collective statement signed by the chairman Archbishop Anthony Muheria, the number of people to attend worship “will be determined by social distancing (1.5 metres) and size of space available,” and not limited to 100 people as in the previous stage.
The Council has also increased the worship time limit to 90 minutes and revised the age allowed to attend prayers to over 6 years and under 65 years.
In the previous month’s statement of the Inter-faith Council on preparedness for safety as the pre-opening stage began, the Council Members asked citizens to observe the regulations so as to prevent risks that may lead to spread of Coronavirus to the faithful when they attend worship.
“As promised in our statement of 7th July 2020, the Interfaith Council has reviewed the level of compliance and the situation in order to determine the transition to Phase One of the planned phases of opening of the places of public worship,” the Tuesday, August 11, statement reads in part.
“Having seen the high level of compliance in places of worship, we are convinced that the Kenyans will now follow the requirements of wearing masks, social distancing, washing of hands, and self-regulation to an acceptable degree especially in the worship gatherings in the course of the week and in their main days,” the Council Members noted in the statement as a confirmation that citizens have been faithful to the guidelines during the resumption of public worship.
They appreciated Kenyans for their adherence to the guidelines and for religious leaders in ensuring safety saying, “We have had over 90% compliance in the places of worship that reopened to the public. This is an exceptional performance and example to all.”
Besides compliance with the regulation, the Council Members observed that funeral guidelines are being flouted and compliance is way below 10%, which according to President Uhuru Kenyatta’s 27th July speech, “the rules and guidelines are easily waived and flouted depending on the social status of individuals.”
“In this phase one that is now set to begin, the total number of attendants in funerals is set at 100 persons. This is a reasonable number that is not too constraining. We plead that we strictly follow this requirement in order to contain any infection spread through funerals,” the Inter-faith Council Members said in their collective statement adding that, “We also insist that there should not be food sharing as the risk becomes even higher when people remove their masks to eat.”
Addressing the young people to be cautions in observing the directives to help stem the tide of COVID-19 cases, the Council stated, “You young people are full of life, and you love being together. For this same reason, you can be an easy avenue for this virus to reach especially our elderly and sick, if you do not take precautions. Please encourage one another to wear masks, and to avoid greeting, hugging, or being together without masks and without social distancing. You are now in the frontline of this battle and we plead with you to commit yourselves and encourage your peers to comply.”
“We know it is a sacrifice we must make, but for the good of our Nation and the good of each of us, let us be ready to make this sacrifice,” they added advising the young people to be careful and protect the lives of the elderly.
The Council further “urge all those who are elderly, sick or with health conditions, to still worship from their homes,” and apply personal responsibility, and not expose themselves at a time of surge in COVID-19 cases.
The mandate of the Inter-faith Council shall lapse on 31st December, 2020; but may be extended at the discretion of His Excellency the President.
