This archive report was first published on 12 July 2020.
On July 12, 2020, Osman Shariff, the first COVID-19 patient in Isiolo, made headlines for demanding Ksh. 25 million in compensation from the County Government for the trauma he endured after health workers shared his personal details on social media.
Shariff, a 62-year-old man, claimed that medics at the Garbatula Hospital where he was in isolation took photos of him and shared his biodata on social media platforms, causing immense stigma and massive business losses.
He alleged that members of the public avoided him, and his businesses, including a wholesale shop in Garbatula Town and a number of buses that ply the Garbatula-Maua route, were severely affected.
Shariff's family members were also not spared, with his daughter Rahma reportedly being almost beaten to death in Maua town after she was accused of belonging to a 'sick family that had coronavirus.'
Isiolo Governor Mohamed Kuti had earlier condemned the sharing of Shariff's photo and biodata on social media, acknowledging that it had caused Shariff and his family emotional torture.
