Family buries kin in Stephen Ondiek’s home at night
The fresh grave (left) where Ms Beatrice Otieno's kin interred her remains on Monday night. She was buried on the late Arch Bishop Stephen Ondiek's family cemetery in West Ugenya, Ratado Siginga, Siaya County. PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
Mrs Concilia Ondiek had told the court that Ms Otieno was married to one Mr Richard Kobare.
Dr Paul Ondiek, the late minister’s son, said that Ms Otieno was legally married to his brother Solomon who lives in the US.
Ugenya police boss Willy Simba said they were not aware of the Monday night burial.
A row over a burial site between former assistant minister Arch Bishop Stephen Ondiek’s family and another one in Ugenya, Siaya County, took a different turn after Ms Beatrice Otieno's kin interred her remains in the former Ugenya MP's home on Monday night.
Mrs Concilia Ondiek, the bishop’s widow had obtained an order stopping the burial of Ms Otieno in the late bishop’s family cemetery.
CEMETERY
On Friday, a Siaya court stopped Ms Otieno’s mother Grace Achieng’ and her son Wycliffe Otieno from burying their kin in Bishop Ondiek’s family cemetery.
But on Monday, Ms Otieno’s family secured another order allowing them to collect her body from Same Day Classmate Mortuary in Sega, Siaya County.
Siaya Principal Magistrate James Ong'ondo cancelled the previous order and allowed Ms Otieno's family to collect her body, which they buried in Bishop Ondiek’s family cemetery in West Ugenya, Ratado Siginga.
On Tuesday, Mrs Ondiek said: “That is an abomination and I will be moving to court to seek exhumation orders. The lady (Beatrice Otieno) was married elsewhere and is survived by a husband and two children aged 18 and 16.”
Mrs Ondiek had told the court that Ms Otieno was married to one Mr Richard Kobare.
“Upon her death, the defendants decided to inter her remains in my parcel of land number North Ugenya/Sifuyo/555 without consulting or involving me,” she said in court papers.
However, Dr Paul Ondiek, the late minister’s son, said that Ms Otieno was legally married to his brother Solomon who lives in the US.
PAID DOWRY
“(Ms) Concilia has no moral authority to speak on behalf of my father’s family,” Dr Ondiek said.
He went on: “My brother who lives in the US is Beatrice’s legal husband, having married and paid her dowry under the Luo customary laws.”
Mrs Ondiek however, insisted she was legally married to the late bishop.
Ugenya police boss Willy Simba said they were not aware of the Monday night burial.
“My officers were not informed of the burial,” Mr Simba said.
