This archive report was first published on 6 July 2020.
On Monday, President Uhuru Kenyatta addressed the nation at Harambee House, announcing the phased reopening of places of worship in the country. However, he extended the closure of bars for another 30 days.
According to the President, places of worship must first comply with set regulations before opening back their doors. These regulations include a condition of only 100 congregants at any given worship session, which should not take more than an hour each.
He also stated that persons under the age of 13 years and those over the age of 58, as well as those with underlying health conditions, shall not attend worship. Additionally, the suspension of Sunday schools and madrasas has been extended “until further notice.”
“Places of worship will commence phased reopening for congregational worship and the public can attend in strict conformity with all applicable guidelines and protocols including the self-regulating guidelines that have been developed by the Inter-Faith Council,” the President said.
He added that places of worship will open in a period that does not exceed three weeks after they have had the opportunity to fully engage with their colleagues across the country.
The President also extended the prohibition against social and political gatherings for a further period of 30 days, as well as the restriction of the operation of bars to ‘take-away’ only, and the restrictions on the number of persons who can attend weddings and funerals.
Furthermore, the President directed the Ministry of Education to notify the public on the resumption of the 2020 academic calendar for basic education as well as tertiary institutions by Tuesday.
