Kenyan man found dead in a Boston apartment
By Harrison Maina, Ajabu Africa News, updated June 22, 2011
BOSTON, Mass_ A Kenyan man was found dead in his apartment in Boston, Massachusetts early last week shocking the Kenyan community in Boston who are facing another sudden death of a woman in Lowell during the same week.
The Late Maurice Omondi of Boston, MA |
According to Samuel Owuor Mithiga, a close friend for many years, the sudden death of Maurice Omondi Ochieng (37) a.k.a Morrie or Morris …Tamu...Tamu...was discovered on Tuesday last week June 14th when managers at his apartment building alerted authorities after neighbors complained of a strange odor coming from inside his apartment.
“The police responded with a welfare check on his Apartment only to find him dead”, said Owuor on a telephone call to Ajabu Africa Newsroom.
However, Owuor stated that it took a while for the Boston Police and the Medical Examiners’ Office to locate and notify the next of kin about the sudden death and Friends only got to be aware of the situation this week.
He added that a major burial fund raising to transport the body of the late Kenyan home for burial has been scheduled to take place on Sunday, July 3rd at the Rapture Harvest Mission International church on 33 West Water Street, Wakefield Ma 01880 starting at 2 pm.
The late Omondi is survived by a daughter, Mia Omondi from a previous relationship and a sister, Mediatrice Omondi of Malden, Massachusetts with parents and other siblings residing in Kenya.
According to Owuor, the late Omondi had been sick on and off in the past, and had suffered from several bouts of severe seizure attacks.
However he appeared to be fine on Friday June 3rd when the late Omondi visited Owuor at his office located at Center Plaza in downtown Boston.
“He stopped by to visit and spoke to me and my wife in my office in Boston two weeks ago and he appeared to be quite fine and jovial. In fact, he was supposed to come back last Friday on June 17th which would have been his 38th birthday”, said Owuor.
He added that during Trans- Atlantic telephone conversations with the late Omondi’s parents and siblings, they expressed profound sadness with the news of the unexpected loss of their loved son and have requested the Kenyan community to do anything possible to repatriate the body back home for burial.
Unconfirmed reports say he may have died in his sleep for what has yet to be established by the medical examiner office in Boston.
The late Omondi is the second Kenyan to die in Boston this week after a woman suddenly passed away in Lowell on Monday due to what friends described as complications from gall bladder cancer.
A burial fund raising for the late Esther Njenga will be held on Sunday June 26 at the Saint Michael’s Catholic Church in Lowell and hence the need to schedule the late Omondi’s burial fund raising a week later on Saturday July 2nd.
”It’s a very sad situation. We just have to support and help one another deal with these issues as a community”, Owuor added, sympathizing with the family of the late Njenga and pledging support at the upcoming funds drive on Sunday in Lowell.
News of Omondi’s unexpected death shocked many Kenyans in Boston and the Diaspora who are now facing two consecutive burial fund raisings for the two dead compatriots who need to be transported back home.
However, the close knit community is known to have the ability to rise up to similar challenges in the past as they debate ways to end the problem of frequent deaths.
Responding to the unexpected news of the late young Kenyan, which came in the heels of the death of the older woman in Lowell, Victor Rie, the acting chairman of the newly formed New England Kenyan Association (NEKA) appealed to all Kenyans in New England and those out of state to come to the aide of the two families facing tragic moments.
Victor Rie, the acting chairman of the newly formed New England Kenyan Association (NEKA) |
He said that he was confident that the Kenyan community has the ability to raise enough funds for the two concurrent burials even as the new organization looks into ways of putting in place a trust fund or a benevolent fund that can be taking care of such unexpected deaths and hopefully eliminate the recurring problem in the community.
“This is a very disturbing situation. Let us all come out on Sunday in Lowell and the following Saturday in Wakefield and help raise enough funds for the two burials”, said Rie on a telephone call to Ajabu Africa News.
”However, the community has to come together and create a fund or something which will enable all Kenyans to benefit through instant burial funds without the need to do frequent fund raisings. Every now and then someone has to pass away as it is the nature of life but I am sure there is a way we can fix these if we all come together in good faith”, he added.
The late Omondi hailed from Murachi West Location, Burinda village of Busia District in Western Kenya province.
He arrived in the USA in 1998 and settled in Boston, Massachusetts but has returned home to visit his parents and siblings.
Family and Friends are meeting this Friday and Saturday June 24th and 25th at 6PM at Rapture Harvest Mission International Wakefield Massachusetts and also next week on Thursday June 30, Friday July 1st and Saturday, July 2nd at 6PM to plan funeral arrangements.
Kenyans and friends who may not make it to the Rapture Harvest Mission International church on the fund raising day, or those out of the state, have been requested to deposit donations at any Bank of America branch in a special account created for this purpose.
Details:
Bank Name: Bank of America
Account Name:
Maurice Omondi Fund
Account Number:0046-3745-5257
Routing Number: 011000138
The Rapture Harvest church is located at:
33 West Water Street, Wakefield, 01880.Get directions
For more information, contact:
Samuel Owuor: 857-312-1121
Mediatrice Omondi: 781-866-6056
Bishop Joshua Wambua: 617-899-9130
Crispus Njogu: 774-274-1836
Read obituary here >>
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