A 1995 photo of the late Elam Mburu of Boston, Mass.. Mburu passed away on Sunday afternoon after drowning in the Charles River.
By Harrison Maina, Ajabu Africa News
BOSTON. Mass. , AUGUST 12_ A homeless Kenyan man who drowned in Charles River was pronounced dead on Sunday afternoon upon being pulled out and after doctors in Boston tried in vain to revive him.
It was not clear as to how Mr. Elam Mburu, 68, ended up in the water, near the Mass General Hospital Bridge in Boston. But on spotting the body, onlookers immediately called the emergency crews and the fire department, which retrieved the body from the river.
The shocking news reached Ajabu Africa.com from a concerned Kenyan who knew the late Mburu for a long time.
He is survived by his ex -wife, two daughters, a son and several grand children.
According to Mr. Joseph Kamaru, the late Mburu has been in poor health for several years, and has been homeless for very many years.
Kamaru said that Mburu had no immediate family members in Boston who would help organize for burial and therefore was asking members of the Kenyan community in New England and USA at large for help.
“He got separated from his wife over 25 years ago when he came to America. His wife later immigrated the US, in the state of Washington, around 2000, then one of his two daughters arrived recently from Kenya and joined her ” Kamaru told Ajabu Africa news. Kamaru added that he has already informed Mburu's wife of the death.
Until the time of his sad death, Mburu had been living in Boston for 25 years since he arrived in the USA in 1985, with most of his life here spent in homelessness.
He was a very ambitious man who had several jobs and even tried his hand in several businesses, the most notable being Amani Cultural Center, which was an idea he started, to educate Americans on the Kenyan culture.
“He was a nice and very kind guy who was very ambitions but things did not work out,” said Njenga Karugu, another Kenyan who knew Mburu for very many years. He was very passionate at community events, notably using a fly whisk to entertain people with cultural songs,” added Karugu.
However, personal problems and failure of businesses to pick up resulted in Mburu falling homeless.
But, according to his two acquaintances, over the last 3 years, Mburu had managed to make a remarkable improvement in his life, getting a part time job as a van monitor with KT Transportation Company of Norfolk Mass., helping with transportation of special needs children.
Njenga Karugu, left, and Joseph Kamaru, two acquaintances of the late Elam Mburu of Boston.
After getting the part-time job, Mburu rented a studio apartment in Chelsea where he lived for several months, only to fall homeless again for unknown reasons.
“Unfortunately, he again became homeless, but still kept his job until the time of his death. He was actually supposed to go to work this week after the appointment we had to attend,” said Kamaru.
At the time of his death, Mburu had been living at the Shelter near Boston Medical Center. Other shelters where he has sought refuge before included the Pine Street Inn in Boston, and a shelter in the city of Brockton, several miles south of Boston.
According to Kamaru, Mburu has been quite depressed and having a hard time over the last several months, and has been visiting doctors for help, and visisted his house occasionally for socializing.
He said that last Saturday, the late Mburu visited Kamaru at his house in Boston and they had tea and lunch together.
“We had lunch and talked about general things. Then we agreed to meet on Monday so I could bring him for a doctor’s appointment,” said Kamaru, who lives in Boston, together with his wife and two children.
However, on Sunday afternoon, Kamaru received a phone call informing him of the sudden death of Mburu.
“I was shocked when they informed me that Mburu has passed away. He had put down my names and phone numbers as the next of kin, and so authorities contacted me when this happened,” he said.
He added that the late Mburu had a nephew who lives in Lawrence, Massachusetts, who has not yet been able to figure out about plans for burial.
In the meantime, Kamaru has asked Kenyans of good will around Massachusetts to meet at his house as from tomorrow, Friday, August 15, from 6pm for prayers and set up a committee to organize the way the body of Mburu could be buried. Kamaru's house is located on on 1855 Washington Street, Apt 5D in Boston, MA 02118
Mburu hails from Rironi, Limuru Division of Kiambu District in Central Kenya.
To get more information regarding the death of Mburu and the intended meetings for organizing the burial, Kenyans can call:
Michael Tiria: (781) 322-5320
Njenga Karugu: (617) 669-5473
Douglas Mbatia: (978) 208-7760 Leah Mburu : (206) 334-0168 Joseph Kamaru: (617) 445-7305
Ajabu Africa.com wishes to pass condolences to the family of the late Elam Mburu. May God rest his soul in eternal peace.
