Justice James Makau has today, Thursday, April 23, 2020 allowed pastors to conduct church services together with media teams for broadcast as long as they maintain social distance.
In his ruling, the judge temporarily allowed the church leaders and broadcasting crews to broadcast services to their members.
This was following the petition by two pastors who had moved to court to have the directive by the state barring church gatherings suspended.
“Pending the hearing and determination of this application, the courts be pleased to order that the alternative forms of worship such as broadcasting of church service be allowed on specific days to allow the various churches to broadcast to their faithful congregants without victimization and harassment of the broadcasting crew, church elders and leaders and congregants who will be part of the church service, by the second and third respondents or their agents and representatives,” reads the order in part.
Read: Kenya Confirms 2 More Cases Of Coronavirus, Gov’t Orders Closure Of Learning Institutions
However, the order does not indicate the number of people allowed in the church during the broadcast.
Last month, in the wake of COVID-19, President Uhuru Kenyatta closed learning institutions and banned all social gatherings to curb the spread of the virus.
In a presser, he appealed to all Kenyans to avoid congregating including in places of worship and minimize attendance to social gatherings including funerals and weddings. This also applied to visits to shopping malls and entertainment joints.
Read Also: Kenya Confirms 7 New Cases of Coronavirus, Number Now At 179
Following the directive, churches were closed down and those that were still engaged in worship services hunted down and others arrested.
Others had opted for online services through broadcasting channels.
Currently, the country has reported 320 positive COVID-19 cases, 14 fatalities and 89 recoveries.
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