Matiangi: Report on reopening of churches to be handed to Uhuru

Interior and Coordination CS Fred Matiang'i has said a report on whether to reopen churches or not is ready and will be handed over to President Uhuru Kenyatta today.

Speaking on Friday after meeting religious leaders at KICD in Nairobi, Matiang'i who was accompanied by CSs George Magoha (Education) and Mutahi Kagwe (Health), said the report was compiled after engaging Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) and the University of Nairobi (UoN) schools of medicine and Kemri team who have got the Covid-19 data.

“After engaging JKUAT, UoN schools of medicine and Kemri team, and most importantly our security team, we have a report that will be handed over to President Uhuru,” he said.

Matiang'i (pictured) said the report will be handed over to Uhuru who will then inform the country on what next as far as reopening of our churches are concerned.

“We have prepared a report but cannot divulge its details because we were sent by the President, we will hand it over to him.”

He said they had a consultative and fruitful meeting with religious leaders, adding that it is only through such consultations will the country move forward

Outgoing CITAM Bishop David Oginde said as the clergy, they are doing everything possible to support the government’s efforts to combat Covid-19.

He urged all religious leaders to take responsibility and make sure that the masses adhere to the Covid-19 containment measures.

“To win the war, everyone must take responsibility, and as religious leaders, we are buttressing the government’s efforts.”

The government banned church services and mosque prayers in additional measures to combat the spread of coronavirus on March 22.

The National Emergency Response Committee (NERC) suspended all churches, mosques, and other religious gatherings over non-compliance of religious institutions to the social distance requirement.

The meeting comes ahead of June 6, a date on which the partial lockdown and dusk to dawn curfew were extended to contain the spread of coronavirus in the country.