• ODM leader said Kenyans' reckless behaviour in disregarding the Covid-19 threat was forcing the government to consider totally locking down the country.
• He wants people to avoid burials if the dead are not directly related to them.
Image: /FILE
ODM leader Raila Odinga says bodies should be cremated to prevent the spread of the coronavirus - not buried.
He said communities should abandon, at least for now, the dangerous practice of ferrying bodies upstate for burials that can spread the virus and expose mourners to Covid-19.
The culture of burying the dead runs deep in Kenya and people are slow to accept cremation.
Speaking on a vernacular talk show over the weekend, the former Prime Minister said most people do not appreciate the reality of Covid-19 and the dangers of exposure.
Burial gatherings in which people crowd together should be done away with and the public should understand they are doing it for themselves and their loved ones, not the government, he said.
“My mother died while I was in detention and I visited the graveside four years later upon release. Don’t go to funerals that are not a must," such as those for people not related to you," he said.
“We must stop this cultural belief that a dead person must be ferried and buried upcountry. They can be buried in cemeteries in urban areas where they died,” he added.
Saying the virus outbreak was the Third World War, the ODM leader said the disease was worse than World Wars I and II. He said it is an invisible enemy and cannot be tackled with weapons and explosives.
“Look at Italy and the US. The combined number of people dying of the virus each day is more than those who died daily during the Vietnam War or World War II. This is far deadlier than we have been thinking," he said.
Raila questioned how Kibera residents who transported their dead to Siaya county for burial, were allowed to leave Nairobi. The city-county is a Covid-19 hotspot and travel in and out is greatly restricted.
He asked what safety protocols are observed in upcountry burials, as with the burial of the brother of Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang'ula.
On arrival, seven of the Wetang'ula mourners tested positive for Covid-19.
“We must suspend cultural practices that expose us to danger at this time of an epidemic. We have no choice but to change,” Raila said.
He called on the government to introduce measures to stop the ferrying of bodies upcountry for burial.
Kenyans are forcing the government to consider completely locking down the country by violating health directives to curb the spread of the highly infectious virus, he said.
“Let’s not oppose everything even when lives are at stake. It is unfortunate Kenyans are provoking the government to lock down the country. I am seeing the government possibly locking down the country if we don’t change. We are heading for a total lockdown,” he said.
Privileges and rights don't apply during emergency situations, Raila said.
He urged people to stop stigmatising those who have contracted the disease, saying growing stigma keeps Kenyans from getting tested and treated.
“This disease is also a lot about luck," he said. "You never know when you may have it."
(Edited by V. Graham)