Family in Muhoroni forced to bury kin at 4am after flouting COVID-19 rules

Police in Muhoroni forcibly buried the remains of a 68-year-old woman on Friday night, after obtaining reports that her family planned to hold an overnight vigil before her burial on Saturday.

According to county police chief Samuel Anampiu, officers alerted to the situation raided the late Risper Juma’s home in Kore village in the wee hours of Saturday morning.

The security team, led by Muhoroni DCC Benedict Munywoki, stormed the house and ordered the family to dig a grave for their kin for immediate burial.

The family had violated COVID-19- protocols, according to the police chief, because the burial permit sought was for June 18.

The county’s health protocols state that no corpse should be kept overnight at home before burial.

The decedent was finally laid to rest at around 4.am on Saturday, with the authorities saying they will not be taking chances with protocol breakers.

The latest follows a raft on new stricter measures after the government reviewed COVID-19 containment measures in 13 counties within the Lake Basin region following a spike in the infection rate in the area.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said the dusk-to-dawn curfew shall begin at 7pm and end at 4am in the counties of Busia, Vihiga, Kisii, Nyamira, Kakamega, Kericho, Bomet, Bungoma, Trans-Nzoia, Kisumu, Siaya, Homa-Bay and Migori. This takes effect from Friday, June 18, 2021 until further notice.

The CS said the 13 counties have been declared a COVID-19 hotspot zone after registering a positivity rate of 21% against a national average of 9% over the last 14 days.

“Over the last 14 days infections in the Counties of Busia, Vihiga, Kisii, Nyamira, Kakamega, Bungoma, Kericho, Bomet, Trans Nzoia, Kisumu, Siaya, Homa-Bay and Migori constituted 60% of the national caseload,” noted the CS.

Movement in and out of the region will remain restricted unless for emergency and essential purposes.

“Except for essential and emergency services, movement between the hotspot Zone and the rest of the country is strongly discouraged,” reads the statement.

All forms of physical gatherings including at places of worship in the 13 counties have also been suspended for a period of 30 days.