5 Kenyans Have Died of Covid-19 in the US, Government Says

The coronavirus disease has killed five Kenyans in the United States in the past month, Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said.

Speaking during a media briefing on Tuesday, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Amb. Macharia Kamau said all the five deceased Kenyans had underlying medical conditions before they were diagnosed with Covid-19.

Patients with underlying medical conditions have a weak immune system hence they are more likely to experience worse symptoms or develop complications if they contract Covid-19.

Among Kenyans who succumbed to Covid-19 in the US is Peter Juma, a 38-year-old paramedic at New York’s St Catherine of Siena Hospital and Laban Kimungu, a resident of Massachusetts who hailed from Molo, Nakuru County.

During the briefing, PS Kamau said citizens who die of the disease abroad will be buried there as the Covid-19 situation makes it hard to bring the bodies home.

“We also request Kenyans to bear with us to bury those who die in the diaspora within 24 hours,” he said.

On the passing of Ruth Anyango Ogonda, an administrative attaché at the Kenyan consulate in Los Angeles, California, PS Kamau said she was suffering from high blood pressure but the actual cause of her death is yet to be established. 

Kamau said the ministry is still waiting for the autopsy report from Olympia Medical Centre, where she died last Friday. She leaves behind two children.

“What is tragic is that we are not able to bring the children home under the circumstances, but we will ensure they are kept under the best conditions in Los Angeles,” said Kamau.

At the same time, PS Kamau said 21 Kenyan students are presently stranded in Hungary and more than 60 trainees in France due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We have very many Kenyans working in the Middle East, a significant number have lost their jobs. We are in touch with all governments and we are urging them to take care of Kenyans in their countries,” he said.

In addition, one Kenyan is admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) in Sweden after contracting the virus. 

224 Kenyans are stranded in India after they traveled there to seek treatment together with their relatives. In Iran, over 200 students have not been able to attend school while 3,000 Kenyans are in China but there are no reports of death.

“The situation in Guangzhou has been a concern to us. The reality is that this has been an unfortunate outcome,” he said in reference to the alleged racial discrimination against people of African descent.

Kamau indicated that the official number of Kenyan citizens abroad is over 2.8 million.