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Religious leaders in Nakuru have called on the State and County government to involve them in distribution of relief food and supplies to ensure that only deserving cases adversely affected by Covid-19 outbreak benefit.

The leaders, who praised the government for mobilizing resources by rallying the Kenya Red Cross, the Kenya Association of Manufacturers, the private sector and aid agencies to ensure vulnerable people receive the necessary assistance, called for measures to ensure a ‘few greedy’ individuals do not take advantage of the exercise to enrich themselves.

Arch-Bishop Charles Chweya of Grace Holy Churches of Kenya said Christian clergy, Muslim Imams and Hindu leaders were better placed to identify and vet widows, orphans, people living with disabilities and the poor to assist the government ‘weed out’ names of individuals not hit hard by the economic shutdown following by spread of the virus.

At the same time, the team while addressing journalists in Nakuru yesterday called on parents and guardians to confine their children indoors to avert further spread of Covid-19 disease.

Reverend Ann Njoki of Solid Rock Free Area Parish advised parents to sensitize their children about the virus and the need for them to refrain from interacting with their friends for their own safety.

She also emphasized the importance of personal hygiene to children and self-distancing from everyone.

On March 15, following the confirmation of three cases of the deadly virus in Kenya, President Uhuru Kenyatta suspended learning in all institutions and asked government offices and businesses to allow employees to work from home.

Reverend Njoki noted that following closure of learning institutions countrywide children were crowding in playgrounds and residential estates in most parts of country where she said they were interacting for more than 10 hours daily.