This archive report was first published on 12 July 2020.
On July 12, 2020, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced the reopening of churches in Kenya, but Jamia Mosque and four major Nairobi churches have defied the order.
The institutions claim that the 100-person limit set by the government is impractical for their large congregations.
"This is because the guidelines issued to limit prayers to only 100 persons per session are not practical for Jamia Mosque Nairobi given its centrality in the Central Business District of the capital city," a statement by the Jamia Mosque Committee read.
With a capacity of 5,000, Jamia Mosque has about 120 staff members, making the 100-person limit untenable.
The four churches that have confirmed they will not reopen are All Saints Cathedral, CITAM assemblies, Jubilee Christian Church, and Parklands Baptist Church.
"We are waiting on the Inter-Faith Council on Covid-19 to develop guidelines that will apply to our situation before re-opening," said All Saints Cathedral Provost Sammy Wainaina.
Other churches, such as CITAM and JCC, have chosen to continue conducting online services to ensure their members' safety from the Coronavirus disease.
Reverend Ambrose Nyangao of PBC explained that the church has a congregation of about 2,000 faithfuls, most of whom are families, and cannot cater to them under the new guidelines.
