By Patrick Lang'at

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Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has declared Saturday a National Day of Prayer amid the worldwide outbreak of the new coronavirus.

Mr Kenyatta made the declaration Tuesday, the same day the minister for Health announced that Kenya now has four cases of Covid-19, which has killed thousands of people across the globe.

On Saturday, the President said Kenyans will pray to God in their homes, with a small group of religious leaders congregating at the State House in Nairobi.

“We cannot ignore the need to turn to God. 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,” the President said.

He said that in God, Kenyans had a place to turn to amid Covid-19 virus, which has been declared a global pandemic.

“On Saturday, 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,” President Kenyatta said.

He said Kenyans should offer the prayers in their homes, work places, or wherever they will be on that day.

The Head of State told Kenyans that while the government was doing everything it can to fight the virus, the efforts were just not enough, and required God’s intervention.

“Let us join hands together on Saturday. Let us pray for our country. Let us pray for our unity. Let us pray to see this pandemic resolved and let us pledge to love one another, to live in peace and harmony with each other and let us pray that the world will once again refocus itself on those things that are good, on those things that are virtuous, on those things that are peaceful,” he said.

In his proclamation, the President said he was guided by Philippians 4: 6 to 9, in which the Apostle Paul asks Philippians to “not worry about anything instead, pray about everything.”

Deputy President William Ruto, who is a professed Christian, has equally called on Kenyans to seek divine intervention over the virus.

“Even as we face the challenge of coronavirus, let us remind each other of the scripture, 2 Chronicles 7:14: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven. . .”,” Dr Ruto said on Twitter.

Globally, the virus has infected more than 185,65 and claimed 7,330 lives worldwide. A total of 80,873 people have recovered.

Last week, US President Donald Trump declared Sunday March 15 a National Day of Prayer as the country fights to stop the spread of the virus.