Kenyan pastors want churches listed as 'essential services'

A group of Kenyan pastors have asked the government to include churches in the list of "essential services" to allow them to remain open as the country battles the Covid-19 outbreak.

The preachers representing churches in Makueni country in eastern Kenya, say faith is the “best way to fight the unseen enemy”.

They want to be allowed to hold Sunday services in open grounds, while adhering to the proposed one-metre distance between people to prevent infection.

The government has banned public gatherings and police officers have been enforcing the ban.

One of the pastors, Nicholas Kyule, was quoted by Citizen TV as saying that the church was the “best place for hope and resilience” during this time.

Another, Titus Uswii, was quoted in the Star Newspaper as saying that the country “may be involved in a futile exercise” as long as churches remain closed.

The Kenyan government imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew on 27 March, but exempted those in what it termed "essential services", which included health workers, security officers, the media, food dealers and transporters among others.

Watch their comments below: