Kenya Pentecostal Alliance (KPA) churches have called for the reopening of churches and urged the government to recognize that churches can play an important role in the war against the Covid-19 pandemic.
Addressing the media in Athi River on Monday, clerics said the government’s decision to close churches because it considers them social gatherings was discriminatory.
KPA chairperson Bishop Jonah Kariuki noted that churches are institutions with laid- down administrative structures to govern their operations.
The clerics want the government to work with churches in creating awareness about the spread of the pandemic.
They said they expected the President to allow churches to reopen last Sunday given that most churches were ready to adhere to the Ministry of Health guidelines.
“Let the government understand that churches should not be classified as social gatherings. They are institutions that need to be recognized in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. Churches control huge congregations. Let the government allow them to reopen,” Bishop Kariuki said.
In addition, the clerics want the government not to impose tough conditions on churches, such as installing sanitization booths, before allowing them to reopen.
They said most churches are facing serious financial problems and urged the government to supply them with personal protective equipment.
“The government must impose affordable and considerable guidelines for churches, given that most churches are facing financial problems. Our congregations have been hit hard by the pandemic and cannot afford some of the recommended PPEs,” Bishop Kariuki said.
They want their representatives to be included in the committee comprising members of different churches that is discussing the reopening of churches with the government, saying every church’s views must be considered.
Like other churches in the country, the KPA members are using social media and other forums to deliver sermons to their members as well to educate them on how to protect themselves from the coronavirus.
But they supported the extension of the lockdowns in Covid-19 hotspots, including Mombasa and Nairobi.