This archive report was first published on 15 June 2020.
June 15, 2020, marked a significant shift in Kenya's response to the Covid-19 pandemic as the government succumbed to public pressure and banned night burials for victims of the disease.
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe announced the ban during a briefing at Othaya Hospital in Nyeri County, where he also revealed that 137 new cases of Covid-19 had been confirmed in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases to 3,594.
According to Kagwe, the cumulative number of tests conducted so far stands at 115,336, with 3,167 samples tested in the last 24 hours. The positive cases reported yesterday were all Kenyans, with 102 males and 35 females.
The youngest case was a one-year-old, while the oldest was 82 years old. Nairobi recorded the highest number of cases with 92, followed by Mombasa with 16 and Kajiado with 15.
Health Director General Patrick Amoth emphasized the importance of adhering to the protocols on burial of Covid-19 victims, which dictate that a body should be buried within 48 hours. Amoth noted that good preservation of the body makes it safer than a corpse of someone who died from other illnesses like Ebola.
Amoth also sent a circular to counties reminding them to adhere to the protocols, stating that as long as the body has been taken care of by public officers, it is safe.
Amoth's comments came after the government was criticized for openly flouting the guidelines, including the recent case of Ohangla musician Abenny Jachiga, who was hurriedly buried on Friday night, sparking public outrage.
