Kenya eases guideline on burial of coronavirus victims

Kenya's health ministry has relaxed a controversial rule that required families to bury Covid-19 victims within 48 hours after death.

The stringent measure had caused an outcry after families were forced to hold night burials to beat the deadline.

Patrick Amoth, the ministry's director-general, has said there was no need for rushed burials if the dead bodies were treated well.

"If you look at the transmission of Covid-19 against other infections, there is very little likelihood that one stands a chance of getting infected from a body if treated well," he said.

Since the start of the pandemic, local administrators have been enforcing the rule regardless of the cause of death.

The latest incident happened last week in the lakeside town of Kisumu, where fans of a local musician clashed with police while protesting against his rushed burial.

The local television station, K24, tweeted a video of the violent scenes at the burial:

Mourners in East Kolwa, Kisumu refuse to let the burial of Ohangla musician, Abenny Jachiga, proceed, saying they haven't been given 'enough time' to mourn him. | VIDEO BY WYCLIFFE ODERA pic.twitter.com/oGBEKa85tm

— K24 TV (@K24Tv) June 12, 2020

The government has been accused of enforcing rules selectively after a huge number of mourners, who included health ministry officials, attended a funeral in Nyeri, in central Kenya, defying recommendations for few people to attend such gatherings.