COVID-19: South African woman quarantined in Kenya commits suicide

A South African woman in a mandatory government designated quarantine facility in Kenya has committed suicide. The 27-year-old Caucasian woman was quarantined at the Kenya Industrial Training Institute (KITI) in Nakuru about 400 kilometres from the capital Nairobi.

She was to be held for the 14-day quarantine period undergoing regular check-up and monitoring by health workers. Nonetheless, the woman took her life.

Elizabeth Holloway returned from a trip in South Africa and was immediately subjected to a forced Kenyan government quarantine at the KIT after she failed to quarantine herself. She, however, expressed her dislike about the conditions of the facility where she was held with three others.

“Yesterday, she complained that the conditions are deplorable and had requested to be taken to a hotel she could afford, but the health officials were hesitant”, an individual also under quarantine at the facility told K24 Digital.

The victim’s body was discovered hanging from a piece of cloth on the rafters of a double-decker bed in her assigned hostel room in the facility with loud music blasting from the inside of the room.

Many Kenyans have sadly expressed their displeasure concerning the quarantine facilities made available to them during the mandatory 14-day period.

The complaints centered on the high cost of their stay for which the government have absolved themselves from hence it comes at a cost to the citizens. People also spoke of the deplorable conditions of the place paramount being lack of proper hygiene.

Samson Rutto, an athlete who was also quarantined earlier last week after returning from a cancelled marathon in India, had appealed for assistance alleging he was starving during his stay.

Health Chief Superintendent Mutahi Kagwe announced that all Kenyans flying home from March 22 to March 25 would be held under mandatory quarantine at their own expense. He further announced that sharing of rooms by those under isolation is prohibited.

Kenya’s new rule – two-week self-isolation for travelers – is aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19. The government says it was forced to roll out this policy because people refused to self-quarantine.