Share this
Archbishop Anthony Muheria.
Inter-Faith Council raises alarm over rising Covid-19 related deaths
The council appealed to politicians to find other means to reach the people, adding that it has recommended further reviews to help implement the containment of the pandemic.
The Inter Faith Council has said it is concerned with political rallies in the country amid surging deaths caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
IFC chairman Archbishop Anthony Muheria said the council has taken note of the rising number of deaths and continued disregard of Covid-19 protocols by politicians as well as Kenyans and made recommendations to the government ahead of an expected review of the protocols that are currently in place.
He spoke after a meeting between the council, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i and his health colleague Mutahi Kagwe in Nairobi.
“We met and presented our tremendous disappointment with the loss of focus in the fight against the pandemic.
On the ground we have noticed more than tripling of the number of deaths but we still continue to witness gatherings of people without masks,” Archbishop Muheria said.
He said the recklessness of political leadership is wanting and pleaded with them and all Kenyans to make fighting Covid-19 a priority.
“Other things are really secondary to all of us.”
Some leaders managed to defy the ban on public gatherings and made church appearances and roadside stopovers that in turn attract crowds and further risk the spread of the deadly pandemic.
The council appealed to politicians to find other means to reach the people, adding that it has recommended further reviews to help implement the containment of the pandemic.
The council thanked religious leaders who have maintained strict adherence to the laid out protocols and urged those yet to, to be considerate of its clergy and especially the elderly who are at a higher risk of dying after contracting Covid-19.
“We urge religious leaders to seek all available opportunities to sensitize faithful to take these vaccines,” he said.
He called on players in the transport sector, especially public transport to adhere to laid down guidelines despite their return to normal capacity last month.
“There seems to be no control on the number of passengers and we are pleading specifically to matatu owners and Kenyans to regulate themselves and carry the stipulated numbers to allow for safe distancing. As you would not enter a matatu without breaks, please do not enter a matatu that is crowded,” said the chairman.
The council called on Kenyans to maintain minimal numbers when attending funerals, wear masks and avoid providing food to mourners as that leads to removal of masks in crowded areas.
The pandemic related deaths have been on the rise in the past months amid measures to control the spread.
As of Tuesday September 7, the ministry of health said five patients succumbed to the coronavirus, all of them being late deaths reported after conducting facility record audits in September 2021, pushing the cumulative fatalities to 4,800.
