Twelve months ago, fear of coronavirus ran so deep that the body of the first Kenyan to succumb was tossed into a shallow grave at night by undertakers wearing ghoulish hazmat suits.
The burials are probably the most distressing and lasting scars of the pandemic, first reported in Kenya on March 12, 2020.
The family of James Oyugi says they are yet to recover from the hurt, and probably never will.
At least 1,800 more Kenyans have succumbed to the disease since the demise of Kenya Ports Authority worker James Oyugi on April 4, 2020.
The 59-year-old had travelled from Mombasa with his wife and two daughters on Sunday, April 4.
Oyugi started coughing and was rushed to Matibabu Foundation Private Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Last year, rules imposed for suspected cases of Covid-19 required bodies to be buried within 48 hours of death, with only five relatives in attendance.
On April 11, 2020, Oyugi’s blood specimens — drawn before his death — were taken to Kemri in Kisumu. The results were positive for the virus.
Police ordered the body disinfected and buried on Sunday night in body bags and all contacts rounded up and forced to quarantine at Siaya Isolation Centre.
In a creepy video of the burial that went viral, three undertakers entered Kamuluga village, SimurKondiek, in Ugenya subcounty, aboard a white pick-up and tossed the body of the KPA worker into a cold grave at dawn.
There were no mourners, but some women could be heard wailing in the background.
“It happened at night, which was not in line with the guidelines that promote a dignified burial process, respect for the deceased and the respect of the rights of the family,” said Murang’a woman representative Sabina Chege.
“It was not the wish of the Ministry [of Health] to conduct the burial as it happened,” Chege, the National Assembly Health committee chairperson, said in Parliament on April 17.
The family has not moved on.
“In this world, I have never seen anyone’s body treated like that,” says Oyugi’s son Brian.
Image: FILE
In this world, I have never seen anyone’s body treated like that
Brian Oyugi
MORE GRIEF
In another incident, hundreds of Kenyans defied tear gas and riot police on June 12 to prevent the undignified burial of popular musician Abenny Jachiga in Kisumu.
Fans carried off his body, demanding he be accorded a decent send-off ceremony befitting his status in society.
The two burials represent the many others which the Kenya Human Rights Commission described as burials without dignity.
The dead in most communities in Kenya are treated with respect and honour. In most cases, it is a time to celebrate the life of the deceased.
To some, it is believed that doing otherwise will anger the spirit of the dead and make them haunt those left behind.
Friends and relatives come together to console with the bereaved family. In Western Kenya, the ceremony goes on for at least three days.
During the period, not just prayers are offered. People feast together and bulls are slaughtered for mourners to partake in the feast.
This has been a tradition carried on from generation to generation. Until Covid-19 came knocking.
“We call on all government actors to uphold human dignity and conduct the burials in ways that respect the place and wishes of the family and one that embraces the family rather than stigmatises them. Most Kenyan cultures position burial ceremonies as the final rite of passage,” the KHRC said during the height of the hazmat burials last year.
“It is a time to celebrate the life of a loved one, come to terms and grieve a major loss even in a minimalistic manner. Measures to acknowledge the importance of burials during this period will go a long way in strengthening the actions taken so far.”
The government also imposed a limit on the number of people who could attend a burial at any given point. The number was initially curbed at only close family members before being reviewed upwards to 100.
Muslims, too, grappled with Covid-19 restrictions on burials imposed by the Health ministry.
Due to the strict burial protocols put in place to contain the spread of the virus, the washing of the body (also known as ghusl), a crucial ritual when a Muslim dies, could not be adhered to.
During ghusl, the body of the deceased is cleaned with soap and water, followed by ritual washing, which must be done a minimum of three times.
It is important to ensure that water reaches all parts of the skin, hence the body must be turned during this process.
Islam allows for suspension of this rite during emergencies.
NEW PROTOCOLS
Later in the year, the government went back to the drawing board to draft new burial protocols.
The move was backed by evolving evidence that bodies of Covid-19 patients are not infectious if handled well.
In September, the Ministry of Health issued new protocols, in what was a little too late for the Kenyans already scarred by traumatic burials.
The new guidelines allowed family members take over the burial of their relatives who succumb to the virus.
However, cultural rights, such as washing of the body, are still prohibited, with the ministry maintaining that the family should avoid contact with the body at all costs at it could still be infectious.
Once the body is placed in double body bags and placed into the casket, nobody is allowed to open the casket again.
Director Public Health Dr Francis Kuria says people are still required to report any community deaths to the local administration to enable the death to be recorded in the OB.
This, he said, will ensure requisite investigations are carried out to ensure the cause of death is established.
“If it is not a Covid death, then the normal burial permit is issued and interred in normal circumstances. But in case it is suspected to be a Covid death, then the county public officer will inform the laboratory officers to sample to be taken and the body as per the protocols,” Kuria said.
Burials of Covid-19 victims still need to be supervised by Public Health officers from the ministry, who ensure that the set protocols are adhered to.
Family members who will act as pall bearers are still required to wear PPEs where necessary.
“We have learnt that the infectivity of that body if managed properly is minimal so the family members will be allowed to handle that body as long as they wear some PPEs,” Kuria said.
Under the protocols, families are required to ensure handwashing stations are available and wearing of masks at all times.
Family members are required to identify healthy members of their family who have no increased risk of Covid-19 outcomes, such as those who are diabetic or hypertensive, to be the pall bearers.
“Going forward, families and communities will play a greater role in the burial of their loved ones who succumb to Covid-19,” Health CAS Mercy Mwangangi says.
“It will no longer be necessary for the Ministry of Health teams dressed in full personal protective equipment to take over the burial ceremony, while families and relatives watch from a distance with limited participation.”
Despite the stigma levels having come down with time, and some form of normalcy slowly returning, families of Covid-19 victims buried last year are still nursing deep scars. BY THE STAR