Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
As COVID-19 pandemic worries the whole world because of its fast spread across continents, the president of Kenya has called for a national prayer day to be conducted on Saturday, March 21 for people to “turn to God” and seek for his intervention amidst this deadly disease caused by Coronavirus.
“We cannot ignore the need to turn to God in such circumstances. As we have done in the past as a nation, we have always turned to God first to give thanks for the many blessings that He has bestowed on our nation,” President Uhuru Kenyatta said in a statement on Tuesday, March 17, after the Minister for Health confirmed the fourth case of COVID-19 in the country.
“We also turn to God to share our fears, our apprehensions and also to seek his guidance and ever-present protection,” he added assuring citizens that through prayer God will protect the nation.
Cognizant that it is through God that we can be strengthened in times of challenges President Kenyatta said, “We acknowledge always that we are nothing without our God. And we have learnt over time that turning to God in such times gives us not only comfort but also hope and strength to overcome even those challenges that for us as humans may seem insurmountable.”
The President clarified further that the national prayer day will be observed by citizens wherever they will be on Saturday, March 21, considering avoidance of gatherings to curb the spread of Coronavirus.
“In consideration of the protocols that we announced on Sunday and other ongoing protocols that will be announced from time to time, I have thought it necessary that this day of prayer be observed in our homes, in our places of work or wherever we shall be residing on that day,” the Head of State clarified and added, “This prayer day will be led by a team of religious leaders here at State House, Nairobi starting at 12.00 noon (local time) on Saturday.”
He encouraged the local media to broadcast the event through all platforms to allow every Kenyan participate in prayers saying, “I appeal to our media houses and kindly request them to broadcast this event live on all our television stations, our radio stations and our online platforms so that we can facilitate every single Kenyan to participate in this event.”
“On that day, through our religious leaders, we will be asking God for His forgiveness for anything that we may have done wrong or wronged Him. On that day, we shall together ask for His protection and blessing for our Nation, for our people, for the world and all global citizens. We shall ask God to abide with us, and to guide us, both in this period, and in times to come,” the President underscored.
Guided by St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians (4: 6-9) “not to worry about anything but instead, pray.”
According to the latest reportby the minister of health on Wednesday, March 18, Kenya has reported seven cases of COVID-19.