• Some family members of the late Kibra MP Ken Okoth have appealed for the burial of the body done at their home in Homa Bay.
Image: FILE
A group of former Kibra MP Ken Okoth's relatives have appealed for the burial to be at their home in Homa Bay county.
The family from Rangwe constituency wants the body buried at Kanyachir-Amoso village in Kochia, where his father was laid to rest.
On Tuesday, the group, led by spokesman Raymond Mbai, said they have been kept in the dark during burial arrangements.
Mbai, who is a cousin of Okoth, said the family would wish for the late MP to be buried at the ancestral home in accordance to Luo traditions.
“Luo culture dictates that a man is buried at his or their father’s home. For this case, we appeal the MP be buried here in Kochia,” Mbai said.
According to Mbai, the MP's biological father Nicholas Obonyo married Okoth's mother Angeline Ajwang’ and presented dowry.
Angeline and Nicholas separated in late 80s after Okoth had been born.
Mbai argued that, the MP moved and stayed with his mother in Ogenga village in Kabondo-Kasipul constituency.
“MP Okoth remains our son despite the separation. It’s prudent if the body buried near his father,” Mbai added.
Obonyo was polygamous and married two other women and had children with them.
The MP’s father was buried in Kochia in 1993.
“We don’t demand for the body to be buried in Kochia but we’re ready to receive and bury him if he did not write a will for his burial place,” he added.
They asked the family to produce a will of where the MP said he should be buried.
“We’re ready to abide by his will should there be any. I urge the family to make us aware of where Okoth wanted to be buried,” the spokesperson said.
Mbai argued that the government may be having a different arrangement for the burial but called for their involvement.
Okoth step brother Alfred Omondi appealed for the body to be buried in Kochia.
“I am speaking on behalf of my late father. If he was alive this would have been his wish. His son would have been buried next to him,” Omondi said.
Omondi claimed they have unsuccessfully attempted to reach the MP’s maternal family over the burial arrangements.
“We haven’t reached a common ground on burial arrangements with one of my sisters in Nairobi,” he added.