This archive report was first published on 7 July 2020.
On July 6, 2020, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced the reopening of places of worship in Kenya, with strict guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
According to the guidelines, individuals with underlying health conditions and those 58 years and above are not allowed to join others for communal worship.
Additionally, children under the age of 13 and those above 58 years with underlying conditions are also excluded from in-person worship.
The guidelines, developed by the Interfaith Council of Kenya, also recommend limiting the celebration of the anointing of the sick to those who are dying or about to undergo serious surgery.
Places of worship will also not allow persons without masks to enter, and those without masks will be provided with one.
Disinfection will be carried out before each service, and practices like giving a hi-five during the service will no longer apply.
The sign of peace shared by Catholics will also be done with physical distance of at least 1.5 meters.
Collection of the offering will be done without passing the offertory baskets to the next congregant, and those in charge of the collection will wear gloves.
Communion will be received by hand, and every minister and communicant will sanitize their hands prior to distribution and reception.
