Lowell River Body Confirmed to be of Missing Kenyan, Confusion mounts
by Harrison Maina, AjabuAfrica.com
LOWELL, Mass., MAY 12_It has now been confirmed. The body that was reportedly pulled from a Lowell canal last week, suspected to be that of a missing Kenyan man, has indeed been confirmed to be that of the said Kenyan, Paul Onyango aka ‘Pablo’. The news have resulted in total confusion in the Kenyan community in Lowell with people wondering where to meet for burial arrangements, or prayers or even whether the body will be repatriated back home.
According to credible information from the late Onyango’s ex-girlfriend, Catherine Njoki, also of Lowell, the fingerprint evidence collected and analyzed indicated that the dead man was Paul Onyango.
Njoki said that the medical examiner told her that there was no evidence of foul play on the body of Onyango although investigations are continuing.
“The late Onyango was about to turn 28 in four days time,” said the former girlfriend.
She added that Onyango came into the US in 2001 as a student at Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan, but with very few Kenyans in that area, Onyango decided to move to the state of Massachusetts where he could meet other Kenyans and find something to do.
He met Njoki in 2002 and the two started a relationship that lasted for five years.
“We broke up in 2007 after I tried all I could to help Onyango stay out of trouble without much success,” said the devastated ex-girlfriend.
The late Paul Onyango, aka 'Pablo'.
pic from facebook page |
After the breakup, Njoki moved to Oklahoma while Onyango stayed with other friends as room-mates in Massachusetts. Njoki moved back to Massachusetts in 2009 but had her own living arrangements at that time.
“He was truly a nice guy but had a lot of ups and downs in life,” said Njoki.
According to information reaching AjabuAfrica.com newsroom, Onyango was a well known Kenyan in Lowell who had many friends, loved partying, but was clearly having a stressful life.
A caller from Maryland, Pauline Karanja, expressed sorrow and sympathy at the sudden demise of Oyango, who was a brother to her friend back in Kenya.
"This is so sad", said the worried Karanja as she left her work place in Washington D.C..
Friends and acquaintances interviewed said that Onyango had a little problem with excessive drinking and several run-ins with the law, lost several jobs and at some point, lost his driver’s license due to the alcohol problem.
“These unfortunate developments might have led Onyango to part ways with his room-mates, resulting in him seeking help at the homeless shelter,” said a Kenyan in Lowell who spoke to AjabuAfrica.com on condition of anonymity. “His life was spiraling downwards rapidly,” he added.
John Njenga, aka Njenga wa Migate, said that he was still shocked at the sudden death of Onyango who he had been seeing often to help him with some basic needs.
“I can’t believe that this has happened,” said Njenga, a father of two who also lives in Lowell.
Rev. Jeremiah Githere, pastor of the Grace International Church |
John Njenga, a businessman in Lowell who occasionally helped the late Onyango
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According to the former ex-girlfriend, she passed the contact information for the late Onyango’s sister who lives and works in Sudan who would in turn direct the authorities to the parents of the late Onyango.
The former girlfriend said that she thinks Onyango has a cousin who lives in California but does not know how to contact him.
She further said the parents may want to have the body of their late son repatriated back to Kenya, but she does not yet know how that will be arranged since people do not know where to meet for prayers or burial arrangements yet.
Oyango hails from the South B area of Nairobi.
Usually, when such disasters strike in the Kenyan community in the USA, Kenyans who do not have any other reliable means of community organization other than through the churches, generally fundraise to ship bodies back home in situations where the next of kin is known, and the families cannot afford to pay for the transportation of the body, or if the deceased did not have a life insurance to take care of all the final expenses.
Several phone call messages and emails seeking more information from the Kenyan pastor who has been helping Onyango cope with life over the last several months, Rev. Jeremiah Githere, went unanswered.
May God rest the soul of the late Paul Onyango in eternal peace and provide his family back in Kenya with acceptance and everlasting peace.
Check back later for any updates.
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