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US-based Kenyan lawyer Prof. Makau Mutua has rubbished President Kenyatta’s decision to declare Saturday, March 21st a national day for prayer over the coronavirus pandemic.
On Tuesday, Uhuru announced the prayer event will be led by a team of religious leaders at State House, Nairobi and urged Kenyans to pray for the nation as it confronts the illness.
“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,” Uhuru said.
“But we also turn to God to share our fears, our apprehensions, but also to seek his guidance and ever-present protection. We acknowledge always that we are nothing without our God.”
Reacting to Kenyatta’s announcement through Twitter, Prof. Mutua said prayers will not solve the crisis, saying Kenya should turn to science and stop what he termed as superstition.
“Prayers won’t help Kenya combat the coronavirus pandemic. Let’s stop this superstition and return to science. This primordialism and naïveté could wipe us off the face of the map,” Mutua wrote.
The Health Ministry on Wednesday said three more Covid-19 cases were confirmed, bringing the total number of infections to seven.
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said the cases were confirmed at the National Influenza Centre and Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) laboratories.
The three include a couple who arrived in the country from Madrid, Spain via Dubai on March 5th and a Burundian national who traveled from Dubai and arrived on Tuesday, March 17th.
CS Kagwe indicated that the Burundian citizen was picked out during routine screening at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
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Prayers will not help. What kenya needs is action not diversionary activities like these. What tangible actions has his government taken?
Only pagans will not know the hope and relief prayer gives to one. A very useful tool where anxiety and panic is rife. A psychological relief which will save many from breaking down mentally. Call it self-counselling.
Prayer is to Kenyans what meditation is to westerners and easterners.
Prayers are good but should NOT be originating from the president. The president need to address about vaccination research and assure the public of a happy ending. Kenyans are easily swayed because of their faith obsession. I see Kenyan siding with the president to blame runaway corruption on corona. shame!
Yes! Prayers will help. We are spiritual beings so our power is spiritual. We cannot defeat anything without our spiritual powers. It's time for all Africans to call upon our real God and our ancestors to fully participate in the war against "Corona Virus".
And as physical beings do the best to avoid it.
We failed during imperialism; Colonialism; Neo-colonialism. We must not fail this time.We need the power our ancestors involved and no distractions. This time God is on our side.
@makau - it is good for the people to pray! You can use your life-long kamuti if that is your prayer-line portion.
Kenyans of faith want to thank the Almighty God for protecting them. God is able to mute anything that acts as Satan’s weapon against His people.
Also don’t forget that Uhuru has put in place all the medical platforms to control the spread of coronavirus. So you don’t have to lecture Uhuru while you are sitting pretty in NY singularly worrying about yourself.
You sound like the media which keep on predicting bigger calamity which is scaring people even more.
Yes, we all want to take proper health precautions but we don’t want the scare-crows who are making the crisis appear worse than it is. Ok, the doctor of doom!!
No need to rubbish it. We know and we said it before you that prayers will not bring solution. We need smart measures of combating the virus and not prayers. Referring to the Coronavirus as "Kung Fu in My Face" as some White House officials have called it is not helpful either.