“Come my people, enter your chambers and shut your doors behind you: Hide yourself as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation is past,” Isaiah 26: 20
Dear Kenyans, we are sending to you this goodwill message as we go through this very difficult period of great concern and uncertainty worldwide.
We are grateful for the divine care God continues to offer all of us, and for the guidance we are receiving towards enhancing our health as a nation.
We take note the efforts the government has put in place and the constant briefing, co-ordination and strategies intended for minimising infection across the whole nation.
We give our appreciations for the unique efforts by our health workers and other stakeholders on the frontline who are battling this outbreak for working tirelessly in containing the spread of the virus.
We pray for God’s protection upon you as you diligently serve humanity. As citizens we need to be more vigilant with how we live and follow the directives.
We take the opportunity to appreciate every effort by our national and county governments to give directives that would ensure safety of all.
We laud efforts by our security and law enforcement agencies engaged in the ongoing sensitisation to curb the spread of the virus.
In fact, the ongoing directives that we stay confined in our residence and keep social distance are for our individual and collective good.
We are often reminded that when the floods came, where were Noah and his family?
When the Angels killed the first born sons of Egypt, where were the Israelites?
Who are we to stay outside when we should be hiding and be on our knees so that this plague will go?
The ongoing curfew is for our good and we can only hope that this will not go on for long.
his morning, one of the World Health Organisation (WHO) experts had this to say: “When we scientists put the evidence on your table, you should take action.
When you take the decision late you pay a price in sick people and in deaths.”
We want to encourage each of us to remain hopeful. Through this pandemic God is reminding us that He is in charge.
We should continue, each of us, praying while doing our best and allowing God to do the rest.
Let us go through this pandemic together and we shall emerge victorious and strong-together as a nation.
We welcome the measures announced by our President and we urge that government efforts should take cognizance of the following realities.
The SMEs have most of their businesses closed. Those who live in slum areas of our cities have nowhere to turn to as industries are closed.
They are stuck at their homes with nothing to eat and any tax reduction will not benefit them immediately. They have no unga for maize meal and the children will go hungry.
In this respect, we plead with both the national and county government authorities that additional measures include the following:
• Subsidies on staple food such as Unga, to enable those poor in our society sustain themselves during this challenging period.
• That families in total isolation guided by health protocols and health workers accompanied by religious leaders be provided with counselling sessions and psychosocial support.
• Farmers be provided with inputs during this period of planting.
We urge everyone, including the business community, parastatals, Christians, international community, county governments, professionals and the general public to pull together resources to support the weak, orphans, the suffering and the urban poor in our society currently in need of food and other basic supplies.
We can use religious institutions or other convenient venues as we keep social distance to support others.
We urge the. Public to register pay bill numbers for accountability purposes.
As we follow the guidelines and instructions announced by the Government, we need to continue praying for ourselves and for one another; that God may bestow blessings and protection upon each of us. Let’s be guided by the following Scripture:
“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.” Psalm 139: 7-12. God bless you, God bless our country
The Most Rev. Jackson Ole Sapit
