King Solomon advises: “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.”

In ancient times, a city without a wall was in peril. There was nothing to protect it from external invaders and keep it safe internally.

A man’s spirit, his ability to practise self-control, is his entire essence. If he loses grip of that personal spirit, then he has lost control of himself. Therefore, a man must practise strong control over himself and his spirit, otherwise he will go to the way of the flesh.

To prevent vulnerability and incursions, such as those of evil thoughts and temptations, is to prevent one’s self from suffering in the after-world.

We ultimately only have power over ourselves. We cannot control our loved ones or our friends, let alone the course of history.

However, if the majority of a population is of a similar mindset that it is necessary to practise self control and caution as we live our lives, then together it is possible to reach positive, desired outcomes.

In Kenya today, many people let go of their self control and allow walls of their consciousness to crumble around them. When things become challenging, when we are enraged by what is going on around us, it is best to practise restraint and maintain our inner equilibrium.

At this point, at the height of the Covid-19 global health crisis, practising self control has become a national imperative. This lesson from the proverbs can be applied to overcoming the challenges that we face now as a nation.

Before the first case of coronavirus was documented in Nairobi on March 13, it seemed so distant from us. Most of our neighbours on the continent had also yet to confront perils of this virus that we knew so little about.

But alas, it has finally arrived for Kenya is very much part of an interconnected world. With the virus spreading to all four corners of the earth, it was bound to reach us at some point.

Luckily, as soon as someone within Kenya tested positive for it, the government took decisive action immediately to slow down the spread and flatten the curve. That action includes restrictions on our movement, shutting down the economy, and limiting the amount of physical contact we have with people outside of our nuclear family.

It has not been easy following these regulations in the past few months. But doing so has saved lives.

Thanks to the Ministry of Health's decision to fight the virus head on, to share with the public all available information known to prevent the epidemic from ravaging us, we are better off than many other countries that started in the same position.

Vulnerable people

Many people have expressed frustrations at all of these new rules, which they see as an affront to their livelihoods. It is certainly easy to understand this point of view, and we are all suffering.

But the thing is, taking care of others, and eventually saving lives as a result of this consciousness for more vulnerable people, is more important than anything else.

And this starts with what is inside us. We need to wake up every day and accept that the reality of 2020 is not how we anticipated it in the beginning of the year.

By practising self-control and ensuring we are not coming into too much contact with other people, will not only save lives but also protect Kenya’s economy in the long term. The worse the damage from the virus is in the present time, the harder it will be to overcome it in the future.

So as we reflect upon the internal challenges we are facing during this challenging point in history, remember always the advice that the Bible provides us.

A nation of individuals with strong resolve can build a single nation able to conquer any challenge in its way. As strong, unique individuals, we are more powerful than ever when we stand together. 

Mr Guleid, a former deputy governor of Isiolo County, is CEO of FCDC Secretariat