County governments to locate land for mass graves as COVID-19 escalate -CoG Wycliffe Oparanya

CoG Wycliffe Oparanya. FILE

Kakamega county set aside parcels of land to be used as cemeteries as the COVID-19 infections continue to surge.


Governor Wycliffe Oparanya says the deceased will not be send-off with a parade or afforded the traditional rites as usual.


" We have set aside and identified two parcels of land to be used as cemeteries, " Oparanya said.


" One in the Butere/Mumias region and the other in the northern parts of the county as burial grounds for COVID-19 victims, "


“We expect cases of the corona to peak somewhere in September and as a government, we must plan for the worst scenario. If it so happens like what we saw in America where hordes of people die in a day, transferring the dead to their homes might be a luxury,” Oparanya said.


He said the county was preparing for a spike in corona cases following the easement of movement restrictions in Nairobi and Mombasa counties and the partial reopening of the economy last week by President Uhuru Kenyatta.


“With the traffic flows from Nairobi, which is the epicentre of the virus in the country, we expect the disease to hit the villages because of those returnees. That’s why we ask those returning from the city to quarantine themselves for at least 14 days before mingling with the village,” he urged.



Oparanya made the remarks during the swearing-in ceremony for three chief officers.

" I urge other county Governments to look for land and keep it ready for mass burials, " he concluded.