This archive report was first published on 7 August 2020.
On August 7, 2020, the family of University of Nairobi lecturer Ken Ouko laid him to rest in a ceremony marked by controversy and hitches.
The burial was delayed by seven hours due to clearance hitches at the Aga Khan University Hospital mortuary, where the body had been kept.
According to Dr. Sam Ouko, the Chief Pharmacist at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) and the deceased's uncle, the family was stigmatized due to the Covid-19 status of the widow, Grace Ouko.
"In line with government restrictions on how to bury Covid-19 victims, we encountered many difficulties in having the body buried after 48 hours and ensuring his widow and children gave their loved one a befitting send off," Dr. Ouko said at the burial ceremony.
The family accused the Homa Bay County Covid-19 emergency response team of failing to follow stipulated regulations and attempting to deny them an opportunity to bury the renowned sociology lecturer.
"At one time we were told it was risky for the family to visit the home while the next time they said it was ok," said Caleb Ouko, the deceased's 89-year-old father.
The burial was marked with the heavy presence of the police who manned the compound as villagers followed proceedings through the fence.
As with all Covid-19 cases, residents were not allowed to view the body as the county emergency response team took charge of the burial.
Grace Ouko, the widow, read her eulogy from the hearse and only alighted from the car at the very last moments of the burial.
