 |
| Oyoo (l) was discovered lifeless on a river bank near the Nyaidho Bridge. |
The search for Mark Ochieng Oyoo has come to a heartbreaking conclusion. This is after his body was discovered in a river near Nyaidho Bridge, where raging flash floods swept his car away.
Why hasn’t Oyoo’s body been retrieved? Oyoo met his untimely demise while heading home during a night of heavy rainfall that caused severe flooding in the area.
Journalist Kelly Ken Rodgers told TUKO.co.ke that the body will be retrieved and prepared for burial per Luo traditions. “The body was found late in the evening, and Luos don’t retrieve bodies after the sun has set,” Kelly explained. He added that the body must be retrieved carefully, and elders and community members must be involved. Luo burial rites after drowning incident
The procedure is done with respect and specific prayers to appease the spirits. “After retrieval, a cleansing ritual is performed to purify the body and the place where the drowning occurred,” he added.
This ensures that the deceased’s spirit does not linger in the water and prevents further tragedies. During the burial, rites are performed to “call back” the spirit from the water and relatives “purified” to remove any perceived curse or bad omen associated with death by drowning. How was Oyoo swept away?
On the fateful day of his demise, Oyoo left work in Kisumu and stopped by the Awasi Shopping Centre to watch a match before heading home. However, he never made it home safely, as the floodwaters carried away his vehicle, prompting a frantic search.
His car was discovered the following morning, abandoned and partially submerged, but there was no sign of its occupant. The incident occurred on the Nyaidho Bridge, an area frequently affected by flooding due to poor drainage and low-lying terrain.
by Hillary Lisimba