38-Year-Old Kenyan Man Who Died of Covid-19 Buried in the US

Peter Juma, a 38-year-old Kenyan-born man who died of coronavirus on Saturday, March 28th in New York, has been laid to rest.

Juma was buried at a cemetery in New York’s Long Island on Thursday after his family’s efforts to airlift his remains to Kenya failed.

His sister Joyce Juma, who is based in the US, a few relatives and members of the Church of Dominion are among those who attended his burial.

Peter is the son of Bishop Elisha Juma and Reverend Mary Juma of Kenya Assemblies of God in Tudor, Mombasa County and had moved to the US in 2016. 

He worked as a paramedic at St Catherine of Siena Hospital in New York and died a week after he tested positive for Covid-19.

"We found a place and had him buried. His sister Joyce and the rest were coordinating the whole event,” Bishop Elisha said.

New York authorities had given the family until Thursday, March 2nd to collect his body failure to which it would be cremated.

“Our son had always been obedient. After completing his education at Taita High School, he did a course in IT then took a degree in theology. He was one of the assistant pastors in Church of Dominion, New York,” Bishop Elisha said.

The family plans to travel to the US to pay their last respects when the ban on international flights is lifted.  Peter is survived by his wife Phoebe Shikuku and five children.