Suspected coronavirus patient killed by mob, as Buhari’s daughter self-isolates after UK trip
A man in Kibundani area, Kwale County of Kenya on Tuesday, March 17, died after he was assaulted by a group of youth at night.
The man, George Kotini Hezron, is said to have been suspected of suffering from coronavirus by the residents, who decided to take the law into their hands against CS Mutahi Kagwe’s directive that any such cases should be reported through the ministry’s toll-free line.
This happened amid reports that a daughter of Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Burhari and First Lady Aisha Buhari was self-isolating after returning from the UK.
A report on Kenyans.co.ke suggested that Kotini ws heading home after having a drink at Diani joint when he was attacked at 9 pm, according t.
“Kotini met a group of youths, and an argument ensued as the youths took advantage of his drunkenness and started accusing him of suffering from coronavirus. As a result, they seriously assaulted him, hence sustaining injuries,” read a report filed at Diani Police Station.
According to K24 Digital, the attackers used stones and boulders to hit the middle-aged man, before they fled and left him.
Police who arrived at the scene found that the attackers had already left and rushed Kotini to Msambweni Referral Hospital, where he died while receiving treatment.
Kwale County Commander Joseph Nthenge confirmed the incident to Kenyans.co.ke and stated that the police were following up on the matter.
No arrests, however, have been made yet.
This comes after Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe on Wednesday, March 18 announced the confirmation of three more Coronavirus (Covid-19) cases in Kenya bringing the total number of confirmed cases to seven.
The announcement brings the total number of confirmed cases in the country to seven.
Among the three newly confirmed cases is a Burundian national who arrived in Kenya from
Dubai on March 17.
The other two, a couple from Spain, arrived on March 4, landing at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) from Dubai as well.
Kagwe warned of dire consequences for those who failed to self-quarantine on arrival, noting that they were required to swear a legal document promising to do so.
A report on bbc.com quoted Mrs Buhari as saying their daughter had not shown any symptoms of coronavirus, but health officials advised her to go into self-isolation as she had returned on Thursday from a “high burden” country.
On Wednesday, Nigeria announced that it would be restricting travel from the UK, the US and 11 other states in Asia, Europe and the Middle East because of their rates of infection.
Mrs Buhari also said that she had shut her office because of “some staff who recently returned from the UK”.
Nigeria registered four new cases of the virus on Thursday, bringing to 12 the number infected.