Kenya Airways Pilot Who Evacuated Kenyans from the US Last Week Dies of Covid-19

Captain Daudi Kimuyu Kibati

Kenya Airways Pilot Who Evacuated Kenyans from the US Last Week Dies of Covid-19

A Kenya Airways pilot who evacuated Kenyans from the US last week due to the coronavirus pandemic has passed away.

Captain Daudi Kimuyu Kibati is one of the two people the Health Ministry on Thursday announced they had succumbed to Covid-19, raising the number of fatalities in the country to three.

Captain Kibati, who was in charge of a KQ flight that landed in Nairobi from New York on March 24th, was taken ill on March 29th and died of Covid-19 at the Nairobi Hospital on April 1st, according to Daily Nation.

This was KQ’s last trip before Kenya’s ban on all international flights took effect on March 25th to stem the spread of the virus. KQ offered a one-way complimentary ticket to Kenyans wishing to return home from the US amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The 61-year-old pilot is said to have gone into self-quarantine at the Ole Sereni Hotel immediately after he landed the flight at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

His brother Arnold Kibati said was taken to Nairobi Hospital where he was admitted after being diagnosed with coronavirus. He died two days later.

“He tested positive for coronavirus on the eighth day after undergoing rigorous medical screening in all the cities he flew to, and three more tests in Nairobi which were negative,” said Arnold.

Captain Kibati’s death was confirmed by Kenya Airways Chief Human Resources Officer, Evelyne Munyoki in a statement on Thursday. Kibati was a retired Major of the Kenya Air Force.

The other person who died of Covid-19 was identified as Ursula Buluma, a Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) staff. She died at Pandya Memorial Hospital in Mombasa and was laid to rest on Thursday in accordance with Islamic tradition.