The family of Bishop Elisha Juma who died three months after his son succumbed to Covid-19 in the US has opened up over their frustrations to bury him.
Speaking during the burial ceremony in Homa Bay county, Elisha’s wife Reverend Mary Juma denied reports that her husband died after contracting coronavirus on June 29 in Mombasa.
“It took the intervention of CS Fred Matiang'i’s office for us to transport the body for burial. Forces were fighting for him to be buried in Mombasa,” Mary said.
The widow, who arrived in Kabondo sublocation early on Sunday together with a team of about 10 from Mombasa, was joined by villagers, the church and a few relatives during the ceremony guarded by security officials.
Health officials wearing hazmat suits were on standby to bury Juma, who was the Kenya Assemblies of God bishop and the president and founder of Power of the Word International.
The mourners eulogised Juma, 56, as a great man who had touched many through his prayers, both nationally and internationally.
“This is a man who knew God and walked with God and many can attest of his good deeds. We shall surely miss him,” Pastor Ezekiel Abele said during the service.
Mary, who met Juma in 1977, said she has lost a loving man.
“I was 17 years old and he was 22 when we met in school. He expressed intentions to marry me and people thought we were too young. He has never mistreated me and he ensured all our children became graduates,” she said.
Their five children are abroad and could not attend the burial due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Mary insisted that her husband has been battling high blood pressure and kidney complications for years.
“Everyone knows that he went for kidney transplant in 2011, yet someone went to the media and said he had contracted coronavirus. My husband was supposed to be accorded a proper burial but because of someone malicious people, this is what his burial has been reduced to,” she said, citing the hazmat-dressed officials awaiting to bury him in line with WHO and government regulations of someone who died from coronavirus.
She said while in Mombasa, they struggled to get the body and efforts to seek authorities to release it for burial were futile, prompting them to seek Matiang'i’s help.
Juma's brother, who had been part of the organising team, said he was tested for the virus on June 29 when Juma died and negative results came out on Saturday.
“I have been with my husband since he was admitted. I am not sick and none of my relatives or church members are. Yet we are viewed as if we are unwell,” Mary said.
Their son Peter Juma died in New York on March 28 after contracting the virus. He was working as a paramedic at St Catherine’s Sienna hospital.
Edited by R.Wamochie
