Retired Anglican bishop of Maseno South Francis Mwai Abiero will be buried on Saturday.
Bishop Abiero will be buried at his home in Alwala, Seme subcounty in Kisumu after a service at Alwala Primary School.
Family spokesperson Peter Abiero said a memorial service for the cleric will be conducted at St Stephen ACK Cathedral Church in Milimani, Kisumu, on Friday ahead of the burial.
The bishop died last week on Friday aged 69 years. He collapsed at YMCA in South B, Nairobi, where he was attending a meeting.
His brother Peter said he developed breathing complications before being taken to Nairobi Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
"Burial arrangements are ongoing to ensure we give the clergy a befitting send off," he said.
The body was moved to Kisumu’s Aga Khan Hospital mortuary on Sunday afternoon.
ACK archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit is expected to preside over the burial.
However Peter said Bishop Charles Ong’injo will advise the family on who will preside over the burial.
“We are meeting him and are yet to know his decision,” he told the Star on Monday.
Bishop Abiero left behind a wife Alice Abiero and four children, three sons Aaron, Victor, Timona and daughter Winnie.
His son Aaron Mwai said the death had shocked the family as he had no history of sickness.
“My father was in high spirits on Thursday when I dropped him at Kisumu International Airport to take a flight to Nairobi,” he said.
On October 22, Bishop Abiero presided over the burial of Salina Auma Rajoro mother to Diocese of Maseno East Bishop Joshua Owiti at Migingo in Nyando subcounty.
Eulogising the clergy, ODM leader Raila Odinga said bishop Abiero served with dedication, humility, integrity, kindness and compassion.
“The bishop paid tremendous attention to building physical infrastructure for the church to reflect on the importance of faith in our individual lives and the life of our nation,” he said.
Raila said Abiero leaves an outstanding legacy of using faith to promote social welfare particularly in the areas of education, health and protection of widows, orphans, the elderly and other vulnerable members of society.
He described the bishop as a dedicated and true man of God who served the church with utmost humility and compassion.
"Bishop Abiero leaves an outstanding legacy of using faith to promote social welfare particularly in the areas of education, health and protection of widows, orphans and vulnerable members of the society," he said in his condolence message.
Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o termed the bishop's death as shocking and lauded him for being a steadfast and amiable cleric who stood against injustices in society.
“I have learned with great shock about the sudden death of my friend retired ACK bishop Abiero,” he said.
“He was a student of former Maseno South Diocese Bishop Henry Okullu, one of the fiery church leaders who used the pulpit to campaign for the democratic space in Kenya,” he added.
Bishop Abiero was consecrated as the head of Maseno South Diocese in September 1994 following the retirement of bishop Okullu.
For 24 years, he steered the diocese to greater heights. He oversaw the opening of more archdeaconries and the construction of the new cathedral—St Stephen Church in Kisumu city.
Even in retirement, Nyong’o said bishop Abiero continued to preach the word of God.
"On behalf of my family and the people of Kisumu, I wish to convey my heartfelt condolences to his family and the ACK church for this big loss,” he said.
-Edited by SKanyara
