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| The late Violet Olinga |
In March this year, TUKO.co.ke shared the heart-wrenching story of Violet Olinga, a young woman who died at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH). Violet Olinga: Baby Left Behind by Busia Girl Who Stayed Unclaimed at KNH for 7 Months Dies According to her father, Michael Obwaku, Violet died in August 2023 following childbirth complications. Violet stayed in morgue for 7 months With no documents and means to identify her, the body remained unclaimed at the morgue for seven months. Her family, unaware of her demise, had continued to search for her, believing she was missing. The crushing revelation came to light after a social media post alerted them to her presence in the morgue. Their grief was further compounded by the fact that they could not raise the mortuary bill of KSh 170,000 and ward arrears of KSh 80,000. Eric Omondi helped family secure release They secured her release after a concerted online fundraiser spearheaded by philanthropist Eric Omondi. In another moment of Kenyans standing together for their own, over KSh 250,000 was contributed through the Sisi kwa Sisi initiative. The funds were used to clear the bill, after which Violet’s body was transported to Teso South Sub-county, Busia County. She was buried in Kengatuny village on Saturday, March 16, bringing an end to the family’s long search for their daughter and closure. Violet left behind son named Favour The silver lining in Violet’s story was that she left behind an infant son, Favor Imosi. Baby Favor’s plight had been a beacon of hope amidst the tragedy, with the dedicated staff at KNH providing care since his birth. However, in what can best be termed a double tragedy, Favour has also died less than two months after his mother was buried. Violet’s father exclusively told TUKO.co.ke that the little one had malaria that was not diagnosed early enough. Favour fell ill By the time they tried seeking help, his blood and water levels had gone extremely low, and the veins had collapsed. The nearby clinic referred him to a government hospital in Busia, but this was during a time when doctors were on strike. “We were told to bring him back on Monday as doctors would have resumed, only for him to die before he was treated,” the heartbroken grandfather said. The untimely death of the young, innocent soul has added a new sombre chapter to the already tragic tale of Violet’s family. Violet’s tragic journey Violet left her village home for Nairobi in early 2023 to look for a job but went off-air in June of the same year. She was declared missing after her landlord in Githurai 44 informed the family that she left her door open and supper uneaten before disappearing. Their frantic search came to a sad ending when someone posted online that there was an unclaimed girl in the mortuary. When the family followed up, they learned that Violet checked herself into KNH on August 8, delivered through CS a day later, and died the following day.
by Hillary Lisimba