Three weeks after the death of Kenyan teacher John Okoth Ogutu, his family is still seeking for answers and the whereabouts of his remains.
Okoth who was fatally shot on October 29th during the election protests in Tanzania, is yet to be found, leaving his family in an agonizing state of uncertainty.
The attempts to locate his body and secure its repatriation back to the country, according to his family, have been met with confusion, unfulfilled promises and delays from responsible departments in Kenya and Tanzania.
Bernard Miranyi who is the family representative, says that his repeated visits to Tanzanian diplomatic offices in Nairobi have yielded little progress.
“It is very frustrating when we see both governments taking us round”, said Miranyi adding that some of the responses they have received from officials have been heart shuttering.
The relatives say that the prolonged delay in Okoth’s repatriation to Kenya has been devastating especially to his elderly mother, who has been anxiously waiting for closure. Okoth’s mother’s emotional state has been described as fragile and that the delay worsens her distress day by day.
The family has appealed to Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to handle the matter swiftly and help in navigating the diplomatic and procedural obstacles that have hindered the process.
They have argued that despite multiple engagements with the relevant authorities, there is still no tangible information on the whereabouts of the body, and the provision of a clear repatriation timeline.
Several human rights organizations have also criticized the handling of the case by Tanzanian authorities and raised concerns about the government’s conduct during the protests.
The activists have called for the resignation of Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, accusing her government of violating human rights. They have also urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate the alleged crimes against humanity.
