This archive report was first published on 9 May 2020.
On May 9, 2020, the Ministry of Interior issued a directive to police officers in Kenya, warning them against harassing and arresting preachers who livestream their church services.
The directive, issued by Interior PS Kangethe Thuku, came after complaints from the Kenya Church Ministers Forum (KCMF), Evangelical Alliance of Kenya (EAK), and Kenya National Congress of Pentecostal Churches.
According to the PS, the church clergy have been forced to go online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and despite the government allowing them to visit their churches and conduct live streaming of their services, they are still being arrested.
Thuku instead asked the police to offer security to the clergy who would want to livestream their church services to their members who are staying at home.
The directive also emphasized the importance of social distancing during the livestreaming, with a maximum of 15 people allowed in a church.
