Nairobi News

Former Churchill Show comedian David Kangogo, famously known as David The Student, has tested positive for Covid-19 just days after he had an altercation with a Caucasian couple in the United States of America.

The comedian, through his Facebook page, said he started feeling unwell and also exhibited the symptoms associated with the deadly virus on Friday before going for a test which turned positive.

“I got diagnosed with Covid-19. Now I am quarantined and I trust and believe I’ll get through this. Thank you all for the support I’ve been receiving. Thank you! Please stay safe, wear a mask, wash your hands and social distance,” he wrote.

Kangogo, who relocated to the US in search of greener pastures in 2018, has been working as a Lyft driver.

Last week the comedian was in the news after an angry Lyft passenger hurled racial slurs at him after he asked the Caucasian couple who had requested for a ride to put on a mask.

In a disturbing video, which has since gone viral after it was shared by Al Jazeera, shows a passenger identified only as “Joe” erupting after Kangogo asked him to put his mask back on after taking it off during the ride.

The clip shows the man getting out of the car and unleashing verbal abuse toward the former comedian as his female companion looks on.

Kongogo then urged the man to keep abusing him as he keeps recording the incident.

David The Student told the couple to “just put on” their masks, but he wasn’t having it and even threatened to urinate inside the car, the video shows.

Kangogo, 30, told Newsweek the man ignored his first request to put his mask back on after taking it off during the ride. The company’s policy requires all passengers and drivers to don masks during the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said he called Lyft representatives following the incident and then went home.

“I couldn’t drive,” Kangogo told the outlet. “I was literally shaking.”

In a statement, Lyft confirmed the unidentified passenger had been permanently banned.

“There is no place for discrimination of any sort in the Lyft community, and this behavior is absolutely unacceptable,” the statement reads. “We have permanently removed the rider from the Lyft community and have been in touch with the driver to offer our support.”

There is no place for discrimination of any sort in the Lyft community, and this behavior is unacceptable. We have permanently removed the rider from the Lyft community and are in touch with the driver to offer our support.

— Lyft (@lyft) November 19, 2020

An online fundraiser set up by Kangogo to turn “Joe’s hate into a blessing” had reached Sh100,000 ($1092) as of Tuesday.