This archive report was first published on 21 June 2020.
Death of Funerals: Tim Wanyonyi's Trauma After Brother's COVID-19 Burial ¶
On May 15, 2020, Antony Waswa, popularly known as Tony, a 48-year-old father of four, died alone in a hospital bed, separated from his family, less than a week after falling ill.
His brother, Tim Wanyonyi, a Member of Parliament for Westlands, last interacted with him on May 8, when they met to plan how to distribute food to the needy in Westlands Constituency.
Wanyonyi recalls a lengthy conversation they had that day: 'I remember calling him to get a brief on how the distribution was going and all seemed well.'
However, two days later, Wanyonyi called his brother for an assignment, and when they spoke, it turned out that the brother hadn't left the house because he was not feeling well.
Later on, the brother was taken to Ngara Medical Centre for treatment, and when his condition deteriorated, he was referred to the Aga Khan Hospital.
On Friday morning, the dreaded call came in: their brother was no more.
Wanyonyi was with some visitors when he received the news and was left confused and worried about his parents.
He called Hon. Wetangula to inform them so that they do not get shocked.
The news of Tony's death found its way to social media even before they could alert the whole family, making it difficult to explain what exactly happened to their brother.
Wanyonyi is still trying to come to terms with the type of burial that took place in Mukhwea Village, Bungoma County, where strangers buried his brother due to strict health protocols.
Guidelines for burial from the Ministry of Health state that bodies should be placed in two body bags, which can then be put in a casket for burial.
The protocols forbid relatives from touching or kissing the body, and relatives and friends are allowed to conduct the burial but only under the watch of public health officials.
Wanyonyi urged the Ministry of Health to find a way for decent burials to happen during this time.
He now exercises even greater vigilance when it comes to following the Ministry of Health guidelines and wishes his fellow politicians would do the same.
Within 100 days of its arrival in Kenya, COVID-19 has separated loved ones in a way they never thought possible, leaving a painful new normal.
