Mombasa County ODM chairman and former Kenya Football Federation chairman Mohammed Hatimy was laid to rest at the Kikowani cemetery on Saturday.
Hatimy died at the Mombasa Hospital on Saturday morning, around 3am, just three days after he was returned to the ICU.
He had tested negative for coronavirus following days of hospitalisation at the same hospital, according to county assembly speaker Aharub Khatri.
However, the disease had already destroyed his lungs, which collapsed at around on Saturday.
He was among seven MCAs who had tested positive for Covid-19 leading to the closure of the Mombasa County Assembly.
Governor Hassan Joho led dignitaries including at least four MPs from Nairobi, Kwale, Kilifi, and Mombasa counties.
They include George Aladwa (Makadara) who represented ODM party leaders Raila Odinga, Abdulswamad Nassir (Mvita), Khatib Mwashetani (Lunga Lunga), and Teddy Mwambire (Ganze).
Others include speaker Khatri, MCAs from Mombasa, Abubakar Joho, who is the Governor’s elder brother, and players and officials from Bandari FC who represented the football fraternity.
Hundreds of residents lined up the streets leading to the Kikowani cemetery where his body was interred.
The leaders described Hatimy as an irreplaceable leader who talked less but did more.
Since entering active politics in the Kanu era, he has consecutively held civic leadership positions without vying for any.
His ability to influence policies and strategy made him a vital cog in both Kanu and ODM.
However, it is in ODM that his status was elevated into a powerful individual who had the party bosses’ ears.
Image: JOHN CHESOLI
This is why he has always been nominated since the days of the defunct Mombasa county council to date.
All these years, he has always held the Finance docket as committee chair.
Joho made yet another passionate appeal to residents to take Covid-19 seriously, saying the disease is wiping out people.
“At Kiziwi cemetery there are only 20 spaces left for burial,” he said.
He said the responsibility to protect lives lies with individuals.
He said the county or national government can only provide facilities to treat a few of the victims of the virus.
“Many of us still don’t believe that Covid is a reality. We still have to remind people to wear masks,” said a frustrated Joho.
He said people are wrong to follow what politicians are doing.
“We are as human as you are. Don’t look at us as angels.
“There are instances where we have made mistakes.
“That should not stop you from protecting yourselves and families,” Joho said.
The governor said the spike in Covid-19 cases has forced the county to now increasingly take care of moderate to severe cases.
“We are enhancing our capacity and now we have moved from basic isolation to treating moderate to severe cases,” he noted.
Some 38 health workers at the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital have contracted the virus in the last one week, Joho said.
“We lost a nurse,” Joho noted, stressing the severity of the matter.
He said leaders are not immune to the virus but most protect themselves and that is why they have survived.
“We have been close to people who are positive bit because we never let our guard down, we survive,” the governor said at the Kikowani cemetery after Hatimy’s burial.