Siaya burial: county distances itself amid sharp criticism

The hasty pre-dawn burial of James Oyugi Onyango, a Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) employee who succumbed to coronavirus complications last week, has drawn sharp criticism from Kenyans, political leaders and civil society organisations in Siaya.

This is even as the Cornel Rasanga-led Siaya County Government moves to distance itself from certain aspects of the burial that, according to video clips taken at the site, saw the body being thrown into a shallow grave in a body bag without a coffin.

The Sunday morning burial is now coming under fire after it emerged that Ministry of Health (MoH) rules on burying of Covid-19 victims may have been breached.

According to MoH regulations for disposal of Covid-19 victims, before commencement of handling of the remains, the family must be fully informed about the dignified burial process and their religious and personal rights to show respect for the deceased.

It also took place between 1 and 2 am on Sunday morning in the presence of a handful of people, including security and county health officials.

However, this is in contravention of gazetted rules under the Public Health Act that stipulate funerals must only happen during the day.

"The burial or cremation ceremony may only take place between 0900 hours – 1500 hours," Section 8 (1) (b) of the Public Health rules on Covid-19 says.

COMPARISONS

Many Kenyans commenting on the matter online have drawn parallels between Mr Onyango's burial and that of previous coronavirus victims in the country.

For instance, the first Kenyan to succumb to Covid-19 -- Engineer Maurice Namiinda -- was buried in Naisambu village, Trans Nzoia County last Tuesday in a 35-minute ceremony attended by immediate family members and officiated by the Catholic Church.

Another Covid-19 victim, Kenya Airways Captain Daudi Kimuyu Kibati, was buried at a ceremony attended by 15 people at Mavindini village, Kitui Rural Sub-County amid tight security.

Both funerals were conducted during the day, unlike that of Mr Onyango.

The victim's brother, identified as Zack Onyango, in an interview with a local radio station yesterday accused the State of burying his kin "like a dog."

He also alleged that the family was denied the opportunity to accord the deceased a decent send-off.

In the interview, he claims that the State apparatus -- led by the area assistant chief -- pushed the family into being part of a hurried interment.

"Our plea to have them allow us burry him in a coffin were roundly rejected. We had made a down payment for a coffin which was being made at Ukwala town but they came with express orders on Saturday night that the whole ceremony was to be done with immediately," he is recorded as saying.

TEST RESULTS

He also accused county health authorities of refusing to avail results of the tests conducted on the body to the family.

"We are yet to see the (test) results to ascertain what killed our brother. We are not in any way saying he didn't succumb to the disease but it was fair to share the results with the family as well," he added.

Mr Onyango also faulted the government over failure to conduct a post-mortem on the body to conclusively establish the cause of death.

Among the Kenyans who reacted with shock over the burial process is Senator James Orengo, who represented Ugenya constituency as MP.

"Covid-19 has struck Siaya like meteor. Witnessed an undignified burial in the dead of night as surreal as mass graves in New York and military funeral convoys in Lombardy. We are confronted with unprecedented challenges. Lets not forget our humanity even in the midst of tragedy," he said via his Twitter handle yesterday.

Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi said of the bizarre burial: "Understandably, as a people, we are currently swimming in unchartered waters. The Covid-19 pandemic has turned our lives upside down. Nevertheless, we must apply the same standards for every situation. All victims deserve dignity, even in death. Moreover, among the Luo, just like in most African cultures, the dead are accorded utmost respect."

Central Alego Ward MCA Leonard Oriaro, who is a member of the County Health Committee, said he strongly condemned the process through which the Siaya authorities handled the body.

"Involvement of the bereaved family in according the dead last respect and dignified use of coffin alongside body bags should have been done," he said, adding that religious practices in conducting the last respects should also have been allowed.

The MCA said that Mr Rasanga should bear political responsibility for how the victim's body was handled.

COUNTY DISTANCES ITSELF

However, the County Governor has distanced himself and his administration from some aspects of the burial, saying his team did not order that it be conducted at night.

In response to queries by the Nation on Monday, Mr Rasanga said: "We did not give these instructions. We are going to probe who gave these orders."

Despite this, a statement issued on Sunday night by the Governor's director of Communications, Mr Jerry Ochieng, had stated that the body was disposed off in line with protocols issued by the MoH.

So far, 45 people among them nurses and clinical officers from Matibabu Hospital in Ukwala where he passed away, have been put on forced quarantine at Siaya KMTC campus grounds.

Also rounded up include 15 immediate family members of the deceased and boda boda operators who had contact with the victim in Ukwala.

Primary and secondary contact tracing is currently underway in Kisumu, Nairobi and Mombasa where the man may have had contact with people.

Additional reporting by Lynette Mukami