Pastors want churches listed as essential service providers

Two pastors want the ban on church gatherings lifted.
Don Mutugi Majau and Alex Gichunge argue that the church is an essential service provider and should be listed as such. The government banned public gatherings to contain Covid-19. But the clerics say the church should be spared.
In a court petition, they say churches are like newsrooms, hence cannot be run remotely. They say the decision to close churches was made without consulting the clergy.
"Even news anchors cannot read news from their houses even if they have good machines. They must go to the studio because the environment matters. The same case applies with spiritual matters, the atmosphere matters," they say in court documents.
They have criticised the government for "unfairly" failing to list the church as an essential service provider. They argue that the right to freedom of worship should not be completely curtailed but, instead, be allowed to operate with the support from the state. The pastors say they have adhered to the government directives on social distancing, personal hygiene and use of sanitiser.
“The pastors should be allowed to serve the people and help rally the people in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic” the petition reads.
Their lawyer, John Swaka, says that like medics and other essential service providers, clerics can't go on leave, hence should be allowed to serve the people and help in the war on the virus.
The men of the cloth want the court to order the state to provide an alternative form of worship such as the broadcast of sermons on specific days, without victimisation and harassment.
They further want the court to direct the government to give directions on social distancing conditions that the church must observe and limit the number of people in the church.
According to the pastors, if anyone goes against the conditions set for churches, then the government should deal with him or her without mercy.

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