Bondo Family in Distress Following Inability to Raise 250,000 Needed to Repatriate Body of Their Son

A family in Bondo, Siaya County is appealing for urgent help to raise KES 250,000 needed to repatriate the body of their son who died in South Sudan.

Mr. Vincent Okoth a mason and carpenter died in the neighbouring country on Sunday December 17, 2023. According to friends the body of Okoth was confined in a mortuary but the authorities have ordered it be repatriated after the mandatory three days or it be cremated.

The other alternative the South Sudanese authority gave was that the body be buried in a public grave if not collected within three days.

As of the time of going to press the three days deadline had elapsed and now Alice Nyakwaka, mother to the deceased has made a public call for assistance.

“My son went to South Sudan in 2020 in search of greener pastures and has always been communicating and sending home money,” said Alice, adding “He never indicated that he could be unwell until on the seventeenth when we got the shocking news of his death.”

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Alice expressed fear that she may be haunted by her son if she allows his body to be cremated or buried in a common grave. Efforts by relatives to raise the KES 250,000 required to airlift the body have been unfruitful.