AfricaPress-Kenya: Panic swept through the densely populated Mombasa Old Town following the death of a renowned Islamic scholar and herbalist from the Covid-19.
Mohamed bin Hassan, popularly known as Shariff Mwinyi Karama, said to have been in his 90s, died in hospital on Sunday and was buried the same day at Kikowani Cemetery.Hassan’s three children, who lived with him, were taken to hospital for Covid-19 tests. They tested positive yesterday.
On Sunday, men in hazmat suits descended on the cemetery with the Hassan’s swathed body, causing a stampede among mourners who had gone to bury him.Most mourners fled as the body was lowered into the grave and buried under strict government supervision.The three new infections are believed to have emanated from the former imam, who is believed to have contracted the virus from a patient he was treating.
Besides being an Islamic scholar, Hassan was a prominent herbalist in Mombasa Old town.Calling for vigilance and social distancing, Hazel Koitaba, the county’s executive for Health, confirmed that the herbalist’s three children were in hospital and that more people who came into contact with him would be traced.
