Disabilities Advocate Kenrick Theus Dies En Route to Regional Summit

Advocate for persons with disabilities Kenrick Theus, the President of the Belize Association of Persons with Diverse Abilities (BAPDA), has passed away. The 55-year-old advocate died from health complications in Panama on Sunday night. Theus was traveling to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to attend the Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Disability Summit when his health reportedly failed. In the aftermath of his passing, various individuals and organizations have offered statements of condolences, highlighting Theus’s devotion to the community he served. Marshall Nunez, Disabilities Desk Coordinator in the Ministry of Human Development, stated that Theus was instrumental in the drafting of Belize’s historic Disabilities Act, which was ratified on December 3. Nunez described Theus’s death as a loss to the nation.

Theus assumed the role of president of BAPDA in 2022. His body is being cremated in Panama, and arrangements are being made to have his ashes shipped back to Belize. It is understood that the hope is for his ashes to arrive on Friday.