This archive report was first published on 12 July 2020.
On July 12, 2020, Kenya had surpassed 10,000 Covid-19 cases, with 379 new cases reported, 185 deaths, and 2,881 recoveries.
The Pentecostal Alliance of Kenya is calling for the dissolution of the Interfaith Council on the National Response to the Corona Pandemic, citing its failure to advise the government effectively on the role of the church during the pandemic.
According to Alliance Chair Jonah Kariuki, the council has misled the government, and the alliance is disappointed with the government's decisions, which have resulted in increased cases of the virus in the country.
"The church cannot be perceived as the place where the virus is being spread yet people are interacting all day long in marketplaces, matatus, and other places," Bishop Kariuki said.
He added, "Do we have a pandemic that knows the church and not the market? These people are going to markets and are traveling in buses and matatus yet they can't come to church."
The alliance also expressed concerns that the council does not sufficiently represent evangelical and pentecostal churches, which have the largest population in Kenya, numbering about 18 million, according to the 2009 census.
"Every religion should have been allowed to come up with guidelines on how to ensure health guidelines are observed," Bishop Kariuki said.
He further stated that the age limit of 13-58 imposed by the council goes against the right to worship and should not be embraced.
Other church leaders, including the Clergy Association of Kenya, have raised similar concerns, with Executive Member Bishop Hudson Ndeda saying the restrictions lower the significance of the church.
"The members we have in our churches are the very ones who, for six days, are meeting in matatus, markets, supermarkets, and restaurants. Why is it that everywhere else the capacity is determined by social distance?" Bishop Ndeda asked.
