Eugine Wabwile Juma 
BY VIONA SIMIYU
A family in Bungoma is appealing to the government for urgent assistance to bring home the body of their 52-year-old relative, Wycliffe Maketi, who died in the Democratic Republic of Congo one month ago.The family says Maketi travelled to the DRC in search of better economic opportunities, but died under circumstances that remain unclear. They say conflicting accounts surrounding his death have left them with more questions than answers.
According to relatives, the long wait has increased their emotional burden as they have not been able to accord their loved one a dignified burial. They say they have been informed that the body could be disposed of if it is not collected soon, a development that has heightened their anxiety.The family’s concerns come amid reports of mounting pressure on hospitals in parts of the DRC following a surge in Ebola cases, raising fears over the handling of unclaimed bodies.The family is now calling on the Kenyan government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to urgently intervene and facilitate the repatriation of Maketi’s body.
They are also asking Kenyan authorities to engage their counterparts in the DRC to establish the exact circumstances of his death and to speed up the documentation process.They argue that no family should endure the pain of losing a loved one abroad while also struggling to bring the body home because of financial and diplomatic challenges.As they continue to wait for a response, the family says they remain hopeful that government intervention will enable Wycliffe Maketi’s body to be repatriated so that relatives and friends can give him a dignified send-off.
