Covid-19: Siaya Governor forms committee to probe burial
Siaya Governor Cornel Rasanga has appointed a five-member committee to probe the hurried interment of the county's first Covid-19 death victim, James Oyugi Onyango.
The team, which will be chaired by Governance County Executive Dismas Wakla, is expected to investigate within two days and report who issued the directives that saw Mr Onyango buried in an undignified manner at night against the family's wishes.
The committee will hand the report to the County Covid-19 Emergency Team which is jointly chaired by Mr Rasanga and County Commissioner Michael Ole Tialal.
Members of the five-member committee include Siaya County Police Commander Francis Kooli, the governor's health advisor Dr Sam Ochola, a member of the clergy and one representative of the family of the deceased.
The governor said that the decision to bury the Covid-19 victim in that manner has been roundly condemned by Kenyans, but noted that it was arrived at without consulting his committee.
Mr Rasanga claims the County Covid-19 Emergency Team was only informed of the same yesterday at 4 pm.
He has promised to take stern disciplinary action against all those involved and warned the Public Health Department to stop operating without consulting superiors.
Addressing the press at his home in Segere on Monday afternoon, Mr Rasanga appeared to have yielded to public pressure and criticism over the matter, and promised to assist the family perform final rites once they were out of quarantine.
At least 45 people, among them 15 immediate family members of the late Oyugi who died on April 10, have been put in forced quarantine at Siaya KMTC campus grounds for 14 days.
Samples taken from them and sent to Kemti labs are expected any time.
He was later buried in the wee hours of Sunday morning in a hasty ceremony captured on video.
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