This archive report was first published on 12 July 2020.
On July 12, 2020, the Catholic Church in Kenya made a significant announcement regarding the reopening of its churches for in-person worship. This decision comes after the government eased a ban on congregational worship in an effort to contain the spread of coronavirus infections.
According to Cardinal John Njue, the Catholic Archbishop of Nairobi, the Catholic churches will reopen for in-person worship from Sunday, July 19. In a televised Sunday Mass, Cardinal Njue stated that priests will be guided on how to implement the re-opening protocol from Tuesday, July 14.
Cardinal Njue emphasized that the reopening of churches is a significant step towards normalcy, but acknowledged that there is still room for improvement. He expressed gratitude to the government for allowing a maximum of 100 participants per service, which he noted should last no more than an hour.
Notably, several city churches, including the Christ Is The Answer Ministries (CITAM), Parklands Baptist Church, Jubilee Celebration Centre, Nairobi Chapel, and Deliverance Church International Ministries, have opted to remain closed despite the government's phased re-opening of places of worship under strict containment guidelines.
These churches cited the need for more time to monitor the situation and prevent the spread of coronavirus infections. In a statement shared on their social media platforms, they declared that their sanctuaries across the country will not reopen immediately.
