Report on reopening of churches, mosques handed to president as lockdown and curfew expire

Proposed protocols on reopening of places of worship have been presented to President Uhuru Kenyatta, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i (pictured) has said.

Matiang’i was among three Cabinet secretaries who met yesterday at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) to discuss the proposed protocols with religious leaders.

The other two CSs were Mutahi Kagwe (Health) and Prof George Magoha (Education).

“After engaging schools of medicine at JKUAT and University of Nairobi, a team from Kemri and the security sector teams that sit at the command centre, who have data and projections, we have taken the advice and note,” said Matiang’i.

“We have now put together a report which we will submit this afternoon (yesterday) to the president and the National Security Council as required.”

Matiang’i, declining to reveal details of the report, said President Kenyatta will then inform the country on what next as far as reopening of churches and mosques is concerned.

Outgoing Christ Is The Answer Ministries (Citam) Presiding Bishop David Oginde said as clergy, they are doing everything possible to support the Government’s efforts to combat Covid-19.

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

He said they have had presentations from professionals who have been working behind the scenes and the religious community also presented its position.

Community based

“We have come up with what we believe will be a reasonable way forward, which will be presented to the president, and hopefully a decision will be made that can help us move forward,” Oginde said.

Kagwe asked for assistance from the religious leaders, saying the next stage in the fight against Covid-19 will be community based.

“We are going to take people in quarantine at home, we are going to isolate people at home and we are going to need community-based isolation and quarantine,” said the CS.

He asked religious leaders to be part and parcel of that effort and to assist the Ministry of Health in the implementation.

“As the Ministry of Health we are cooperating with you in all ways possible. We believe in addition to every other measure that we are taking, God remains supreme,” said Kagwe.

The Government banned church and mosque services and all religious gatherings as one of the measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus on March 22.

President Kenya is today expected to give an update on the measures in place to fight the spread of the virus.