- The family has experienced a string of misfortunes after three deaths weeks apart.
- They demanded an apology from CS Kagwe over his remarks that their brother never self-isolated and infected his parents.
At least five siblings in the family of the late former Changamwe MP Ramadhan Kajembe’s family have tested positive for Covid-19, the Star has learnt.
The revelation comes a day after the family demanded an apology from Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe over remarks that Kajembe’s son refused to self-isolate, despite knowing his status and infected his parents.
A son of the former politician was during his father’s burial unable to stand for long and was fully masked.
He also isolated from the rest of the crowd and only moved near the grave where his father’s body lay. Health officials in hazmat suits conducted the burial that lasted 30 minutes.
In a leaked report detailing the number of Covid-19 positive cases in Mombasa on Sunday, three of Kajembe’s children were listed in that day’s data containing 24 cases.
They included two women and a man, some of whom were present during the family press briefing on Monday where they demanded Kagwe’s resignation.
Another sibling is still admitted at Pandya Hospital and was not able to attend to the father’s burial.
Sources confirmed that those who turned positive have been tested more than once. They are aged between 37 to 42.
Mombasa county health department had by August 9 recorded 65 deaths and 2,151 cases.
The statistics indicated new cases on that day were 26, the highest number that week.
The family has experienced a string of misfortunes after three deaths weeks apart.
Kajembe’s second wife died in March and his second wife, Aziza, on July 24. Reports said she tested positive a day after her son was diagnosed with the virus.
Kajembe, 76, was not able to attend to Aziza’s burial at the family burial site near their home.
He died of the same disease on August 7 at Pandya Hospital where he had been admitted.
On Monday, Kajembe’s children, Harun, Sudi, Mohammed, Fatma and their brother- in-law Mabruk Juma confirmed their father died of Covid-19 but denied Kagwe’s claims, saying their brother was isolated after testing positive.
“Death is inevitable. It is very sad that the CS will accuse our brother of killing our parents. You can only imagine the kind of stigma this has brought to our family,” Harun said.
Sudi, the oldest son in the family of 16 children, admitted that although the parents died of the virus no one should blame any family member.
Edited by Henry Makori