Canadian Politicians Protest as Dead Kenyan is Billed Ksh59 Million

A side-by-side image of Tevin Obiga playing for Harambee Stars (l) and the footballer at St Boniface Hospital in Canada.
A side-by-side image of Tevin Obiga playing for Harambee Stars (l) and the footballer at St Boniface Hospital in Canada.
CBC News

A section of Canadian politicians is now demanding a raft of reforms after the family of a deceased Kenyan who was hospitalised in the North American country was slapped with a Ksh59 million ($517,764) bill.

The deceased, Tevin Obiga, a Harambee Stars Player, passed away on Thursday, March 3 after being hospitalised in Winnipeg, Canada.

Obiga had been diagnosed with blastomycosis - a fungal infection that affects the lungs. He was a fourth-year computer engineering student.

On Thursday, March 10, St. Boniface Hospital presented his Kenyan family with the bill to foot for his treatment.

Tevin Obiga, a Harambee Stars player who passed away in Canada.
Tevin Obiga, a Harambee Stars player who passed away in Canada.
CBC News

Liberal politicians from Manitoba are now pushing the government to re-instate health coverage for international students to cater for their hospital bills.

Speaking to CBC, a media outlet in Canada, Manitoba Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont argued that it was not humane for the international students seeking medical services.

He also wants Obiga's bill to be waived noting that some students pay hundreds of millions of dollars and deserve decent health coverage.

"There's no reason for it to be cut, and it's really causing astonishing misery. This is not a humane way of doing things. This is not how Manitoba or Canada should act.

"It's a pretty low price to pay to make sure that students from abroad who study in Manitoba, who bring hundreds of millions of dollars with them, actually can get health care coverage when they need it," he stated.

The leader of the African Community in Manitoba Uche Nwankwo noted that the bill was beyond the ability of the Kenyan family to pay.

"There is no way that this amount of money can be paid — not even a scratch of it. We're talking about $550,000 ... If you convert that to Kenyan shillings, I don't know who will be able to afford that. It's just ridiculous and unimaginable," Nwankwo explained.

The family is still raising funds to fly the body of their kin to Kenya for burial.

Obiga passed away a week after his mother, Lilian Ndiego, had secured a flight ticket to Canada to check up on him. 

"I was disappointed because they informed me that most Kenyans who go to Canada don't come back," Ndiego stated at the time.

Tevin Obiga, before flying to Canada to pursue post-secondary education at the University of Manitoba
Tevin Obiga, before flying to Canada to pursue post-secondary education at the University of Manitoba
CBC News