A senior Kenya Airways pilot is among the two latest people to die from coronavirus. The pilot, said to be aged 63 checked in at the Nairobi Hospital on March 29 complaining of difficulties breathing.
“His doctor recommended Covid-19 tests which turned positive. The Star learned that he was taken to the isolation ward within the hospital until his death on Thursday. Two more pilots who tested positive are admitted at the same hospital,” a report in The Star newspaper said.
KQ stops flights for first time in 40yrs, pleads for bailout to avoid collapse
A related message of condolence further reported that the pilot flew the last plane from New York to Nairobi on Wednesday 25.
However, the national carrier did not reveal these details in their death announcement to staff. “We regret to announce the death of our colleague, Captain Daudi Kimuyu Kibati, which occurred on 1st April 2020. Until his death, Captain Kibati was a Captain on the 787 Fleet in Operations Department,” the statement from Kenya Airways read in part.
According to The Star, apart from the Kenya Airways pilot, the other victim was a 68-year-old female Kenya Ports Authority employee, who died on Wednesday night at the Mombasa Hospital’s isolation ward. Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe confirmed the two new deaths in his daily briefing on Thursday. This brings to three the number of people killed by coronavirus since the disease was reported in Kenya on March 13.