Uhuru turns to God as coronavirus hits World hard; National Prayer Day set

By , K24 Digital
On Tue, 17 Mar, 2020 17:20 | 2 mins read
President Uhuru Kenyatta has set Saturday, March 21, as the National Day for Prayer. [PHOTO | FILE]
President Uhuru Kenyatta has set Saturday, March 21, as the National Day for Prayer. [PHOTO | FILE]
President Uhuru Kenyatta has set Saturday, March 21, as the National Day for Prayer. [PHOTO | FILE]

President Uhuru Kenyatta has set Saturday, March 21, as the National Day for Prayer.

The Head of State says the prayers will help as the World battles coronavirus, which continues to spread to nearly every corner of the globe.

Terming the COVID-19 as a “serious threat”, the president said in a statement Tuesday that Kenyans “need to turn to God” even as the Government tries everything possible to minimise the spread of COVID-19.

“In these 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. But, we also turn to God to share our fears, our apprehensions, but also to seek His guidance and ever-present protection,” said President Kenyatta in the statement.

“We acknowledge that we are nothing without our God. And we have learnt that turning to God at 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 Head of State said the prayer day will be led by a team of religious leaders at State House-Nairobi.

“Fellow Kenyans, let us join hands together on Saturday. Let us pray for our country. Let us pray to see this pandemic resolved and let us pledge to love one another,” said President Kenyatta.

The Head of State’s message came an hour after Health minister, Mutahi Kagwe, confirmed the fourth case of coronavirus in Kenya.

Kagwe announced Tuesday, March 17 that the fourth patient arrived in Kenya on March 9 from London, United Kingdom.

The CS said the patient’s samples, which were taken to the National Influenza Laboratory, returned positive for the dreaded COVID-19.

“Tracing of persons who could have come in contact with the patient is ongoing,” Kagwe announced while addressing the press at Afya House.

The Health minister said 25 people, who had been placed under mandatory quarantine after interacting with Kenya’s first coronavirus patient, have tested negative for the virus.

“Only two of the persons she [first coronavirus patient] came into contact with tested positive for the virus,” said Kagwe.

The Health CS said Kenya has so far tested 111 people for coronavirus at the National Influenza Laboratory.

Kenya’s first coronavirus case was confirmed on March 12.

The patient, a 27-year-old woman who is currently quarantined at Mbagathi isolation unit, arrived in the country on March 5 from Chicago, USA.