Former Taifa Leo sub-editor Dennis Geoffrey Mauya, alias Mauya Omauya, who collapsed and died on Monday in Nairobi did not die of Covid-19.
According to an autopsy report, Mauya died of cardiac arrest due to constrictive pericarditis --a rare condition that is caused by the inflammation of the sac-like membrane that surrounds the heart.
Constrictive pericarditis exhibits Covid-19-like symptoms such as difficulty in breathing, fatigue and chest pain.
According to his family, Mauya, 37, who received AstraZeneca jab two weeks ago, collapsed and died at around 1pm on Monday outside Jawa Wines and Spirits shop, which is situated few metres from Savannah Police Post.
Health officers, dressed in personal protective equipment - suspecting that the deceased could have died of Covid-19 - arrived and fumigated the body before it was taken to Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital mortuary.
The family later in the evening transferred the body to Chiromo mortuary where the autopsy was conducted.
“I called Mauya at around 2pm and the call was received by a police officer who told me to rush at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital after identifying myself as the deceased’s brother,” said Mr Sam Kiyaka, the deceased’s brother.
Mr Kiyaka, who lives in Zimmerman, Roysambu Constituency, said he talked with Mauya on phone on Monday at around 8am and Mauya informed him that he intended to leave Donholm for Nairobi CBD in an hour.
“He wanted to buy eyeglasses in town. That was the last time to communicate with him until at around 2pm when I was informed about his death by a police officer,” said Mr Kiyaka.
Mauya joined Nation Media Group (NMG) in 2007 but left a year later after obtaining sponsorship to study for a master’s degree in International Studies, Communications and Diplomacy at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) University of London.
While in London, Mauya was a regular contributor to the Taifa Leo newspaper.
He returned at NMG as Taifa Leo sub-editor in 2012 until December 2014 when he left to pursue other interests.
Since then, he had been writing for Taifa Leo as a columnist.
He graduated with a degree in Information Sciences – Publishing and Media Studies, Information Technology, Librarianship, Records and Archival Management - in 2006 from the Moi University.
NMG journalists, led by Taifa Leo Managing Editor Peter Ngare, termed Mauya as a dependable, trustworthy, hardworking and sharp journalist who was well versed with current affairs both locally and internationally.
