Kenyan found dead in a Dallas apartment
By our reporter
DALLAS, TX, SEPTEMBER 21 _The Kenyan community in the United States is again mourning the death of yet another countryman who died in his apartment alone, in Plano, Texas, before his decomposing body was discovered three days later.
It was the second similar death in less than 6 months for a Kenyan in the USA, after a Kenyan man died in his apartment in Cambridge, Mass. , only for his body to be discovered after many days. Recap the story here.
Last year, a young former US Army reserve soldier died last year in similar circumstances in Brockton, Mass. and recently, another young Kenyan man passed away alone in his apartment in Worcester , also in Mass. soon after placing an emergeny call after he fell sick.
In the Texas tragedy, Gadson Maingi Kamau , 53, was found dead in his apartment on Saturday September 19th by Police after his cousin Dorothy Manyara and niece Wanjiru Manyara tried to contact him without response for three days.
The late Kamau was single and hailed from Nakuru District of the Rift Valley Province in Kenya
When efforts to contact Kamau failed for some days, both Dorothy Manyara and Wanjiru Manyara visited his apartment and found it locked.
However things did not seem to add up since his car was still parked outside, so they assumed he was sleeping. Upon failure to get any response and realizing the neighbors were getting concerned, the two decided to call another cousin, Margaret Koinange.
Luckily, Wanjiru remembered they had a spare key to Kamau's apartment but after opening the lower lock they realized the door was locked from inside.
Fearing the worst, they then contacted the police department. The Dallas police responded swiftly and as soon as they broke in, they found Kamau’s body lying close to the door with some groceries at close range, indicating he might just have come back from shopping before passing away.
A friend of the deceased, Charles Koinange from Dallas, told AjabuAfrica.com that preliminary investigations indicate that the cause of death could have been as a result of a heart attack. Autopsy findings will be released as soon as it available.
The late Gadson Maingi Kamau. Pic courtesy of friends |
Details of memorial and fund raising will follow as soon as they are finalized.
Before immigrating to the US, the late Kamau worked as a senior accountant in the civil service and a personal assistant to a Provincial Commisioner in Kenya.
According to close friends, the late Kamau arrived in the US in 1987 and lived in the Worcester area of Massachusetts where he was popularly known as ‘Mayor’ .
He worked for several accounting firms before relocating to Texas in 2002 where he worked as an IT Technician for various firms and as a part time tax preparer.
In Dallas, Kamau was a household personality, donating to all worthy causes and attending to all Kenyan community churches.
Friends said that Kamau’s infectious smile was a trademark many could only admire and his love for kids will be missed by many.
“My heart goes out to the family members here in the US, his sister in Canada and all the relatives especially his parents in Nakuru, Kenya”, said a mournful Koinange.
Koinange said members of the Kenyan community in the City were meeting yesterday to make arrangements for returning Kamau’s body to Kenya for burial.
"And to you my brother Kamau as you have always challenged us, I pledge to you that the good works you have been part of will continue. The dream of a united Diaspora will be realized and hope still lives on,” said Alex Ndirangu, a member of the Kenyan community in Texas and another friend to the deceased.
Donations to repatriate the body back to Kenya can be sent to:
Margaret Njuguna
Bank of America
Checking Account #: 488024979124
Routing #: 111000025
© Ajabu Africa News. Unauthorized copying or republishing prohibited by Law.To republish this article, contact us at info@ajabumedia.com .
Return to Home Page here
|
