Kenyan Bishop buried in Bungoma after 7 months in Seattle morgue

Kenyan Bishop George Kaye who died while ministering in the US has finally been laid to rest in Bungoma county.

Kaye was buried on Saturday, May 23, more than seven months after he died.

His burial ended a painful struggle by his family and the Kenyan diaspora community to raise funds for the repatriation of his body from Seattle, Washington.

The late bishop’s body had remained in a Seattle funeral home since October 2025 after financial and logistical challenges delayed arrangements to transport him back to Kenya.

At the height of the crisis earlier this year, members of the Kenyan diaspora community in the US made emotional appeals for support, describing the toll the delay had taken on Bishop Kaye’s children and relatives back home.

“An emotional appeal is emerging from the Kenyan diaspora community in the US after the body of Bishop George Kaye reportedly remained in a Seattle funeral home since October 2025, awaiting repatriation to Kenya for burial,” one of the community statements read at the time.

The appeals stated that Kaye had travelled to the US to minister and serve the church community before his death.

“The heartbreaking situation has left the late bishop’s children and relatives in Kenya devastated as they continue waiting for the chance to finally lay their loved one to rest with dignity,” part of the earlier appeal stated.

The prolonged delay triggered fundraising efforts among Kenyans living in Seattle and other parts of the US, with church leaders and welfare groups calling for unity and support for the grieving family.

The Seattle Pastors Fellowship (SPF), together with members of the Kenyan community, spearheaded fundraising campaigns aimed at clearing funeral home bills, embalming and storage fees, transport expenses, and documentation costs required for the repatriation process.

“As a community, we must stand together in moments of grief,” one appeal circulated among diaspora members stated during the fundraising drive.

Some reports indicated that the funeral home where the body had been preserved continued holding it on credit as the community mobilised resources to facilitate the transportation arrangements.

Following months of appeals, fundraising activities, and logistical coordination, the body was eventually flown back to Kenya.

Family members, church leaders, friends, and mourners attended the burial ceremony on Saturday, marking the end of months of uncertainty and grief that had surrounded the delayed repatriation of Bishop George Kaye.