A Kitui cleric has urged President Uhuru Kenyatta to rethink the decision to stop persons aged 58 and above from attending services when houses of worship reopen next week.
Further, the Kitui Potters House Church Bishop Charles Kimolo faulted the government's decision not to allow children aged 13 and below into church until the virus is contained.
Speaking to the press in Kitui on Thursday, Kimolo said although the President took a commendable and welcome decision by allowing faithful to start streaming back to church from July 14, he appeared to claw back the gains through restrictions.
The cleric also took issue with the directive that there should not be more than 100 persons during any worship session. He pleaded with the government to relax conditions for churchgoers.
“We are surprised that people of all ages are allowed in all other places except in churches. When people go to supermarkets, bars and marketplaces no one bothers to ask them about their ages,” pointed the church leader.
He noted that as much as the President’s decision to open places of worship was welcome, the good gesture would be negated by the restrictive aspects that give it a political facet.
“Issues of social distances and constant sanitising are in order but the restricting the numbers of those supposed to attended worship to 100 at any given time is punitive. Some of our churches are so big that they can even accommodate 500 in strict adherence of social distancing,” the bishop said.
He said churches should be allowed to hold any number of worshippers as long as they can accommodate them and still observe the health protocols.
Edited by R.Wamochie
