The family of a General Service Unit officer who was buried at a church in Opapo in Rongo, Migori county have urged the government to help them exhume the body.
The officer who died March 27, was headed to the Melkio St Joseph’s Missions of Messiah Church in the company of his wife. He was buried within the compound the next day.
The police report indicates that the widow obtained a burial permit from the provincial administration that allowed her to bury her husband as per the doctrine of the church.
On Friday, the officer’s family and Opapo residents engaged Rongo police in running battles when they stormed the church to exhume the body without a court order.
Lilian Adhiambo, the sister of the deceased, called for justice, saying the family has been living in agony for the last three weeks.
“I am calling upon relevant authorities and human rights defenders to help us exhume my brother so that we can give him a befitting sendoff.”
Deputy county commissioner for Rongo, George Matundura, told the media he had a fruitful discussion with the family representatives from South Nyando sub-county, Kisumu, on issues of legal document acquisitions.
Matundura said the discussions explored the way forward for the family in seeking a court order that could allow them to obtain security to exhume the body. Exhumation cannot be allowed without following the legal process.
The representatives agreed to follow the court procedure to get the exhumation order. Matundura also pointed out that investigation into the incident was ongoing, to establish if the church was operating legally.
He refuted claims that several people have been buried in the compound, saying the security apparatus was not aware of any such information.
“We only have information that the founder of the church and the police officer are the only individuals who have been buried there.”
He asked residents to provide any information to aid the investigation.
