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| Christine Otieno narrates her experience as a morgue attendant |
A Kenyan woman, Christine Otieno, has defied the norms and worked for nearly four decades as a morgue attendant, much to the amazement of many. A Kenyan woman narrated her experience as a mortuary attendant. Image for illustration. Although the Luo community has a saying, “tich en tich (work is work)”, some jobs have historically been seen as belonging to men and others to women. However, the modern woman knows no bounds and takes on roles typically associated with men. Christine works as a mortuary attendant at Star Mortuary in Kisumu. She narrated why she chose the job she has been doing for 38 years. “My name is Christine Otieno, and I am a resident of Car Wash in Kisumu and, by profession, a mortuary attendant, and it’s a job I have held for the last 38 years,” she told Kenya News Agency (KNA). Why did Christine Otieno choose the morgue job? Christine said she wanted to give her friend a dignified farewell after she felt she wasn’t given the right attention at the morgue when she passed away. That was how her journey in the job began. She revealed the encounter made her choose the career when she was in Form Three so she could properly tend to the deceased before they were buried. However, she said not everyone supported her decision, including some of her friends who thought she was going insane and had her checked into a mental health facility. Why Christine loves her job Bizna Kenya reported that Christine was thankful to her aunt for supporting her decision to pursue her professional path. She acknowledged that her work as a morgue attendant allows her to meet many notable individuals and, more importantly, she doesn’t get into arguments with anyone, which is why she loves her job. Because of her employment, she has had the chance to instruct numerous other novice mortuary attendants who are now proficient in the field. However, she acknowledges that no career is without difficulties and explains that she did not have the necessary resources to carry out her responsibilities professionally. She encouraged women to accept any job that comes their way, particularly in the current system when there is little choice in employment.
by Japhet Ruto