KENYA: “Political Rallies, Campaigns, Greater Cause of New Covid-19 Spike,” Kenya’s Interfaith Council Warns

Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA

Members of Kenya’s Interfaith Council for National Response to Coronavirus pandemic, has warned citizens that the surging Covid-19 caseload in the country is greatly proliferated by political rallies, campaigns and lax in observance of containment measures.

In a statement shared with AMECEA online Saturday, July 31, a day after the Cabinet Secretary for Health in Kenya Hon. Mutahi Kagwe briefed the nation on being at the verge of the fourth wave of Covid-19 infections driven by the Delta Variant and suspended all public gatherings in the country and in-person meetings of whatever nature, the religious leaders have cautioned on the cause of spike.

“We note sadly that the greater cause of this new spike are the political rallies, gathering and campaigns, and the carelessness with which most Kenyans are now treating the Covid pandemic,” reads part of the joint statement by the body of Religious leaders mandated by the President to oversee the resumption of public worship in the country.

“We are still in an emergency situation… and we continue losing many lives especially in these cold months,” council members shared their observation on the pandemic situation of the country adding that “We must make sacrifices for our sisters and brothers and comply with the protocols, (knowing that) only a true responsible attitude from both our leaders and all citizens, can halt the threat of the pandemic.”

The body that was created last year 2020 mid- June and is chaired by Archbishop Anthony Muheria of the Catholic Archdiocese of Nyeri welcomes the resumption of congregational worship in Kenya’s 13 counties where it had been suspended for over 35 days, asking all religious leaders and worshippers to “continue sustaining the efforts to live up to the preventive hygiene measures against Covid-19,” and strictly adhere to all the directive issued by the Ministry of Health (MoH) including “regular sanitization of places of worship and all who attend services, social distancing of 1.5m which must comply with the 1/3 capacity of places of worship and proper wearing of masks by congregants and leaders of the services.”

According to Interfaith Council members in their Saturday message signed by Archbishop Muheria, all Worship services should not exceed 120 minutes, and mourners attending funeral should be reduced to 100.

They further urged all Kenyans to be vaccinated, noting that “vaccines are becoming more readily available” in the country and also to keep praying to God for an end to the pandemic.