Father Josiah K'Okal (left), a Consolata missionary born in Kenya and a Venezuelan national, died on the first of January. He was 54 years old, with 30 years of religious profession and 26 years of priesthood.
The family and friends of the late Kenyan Consolata Missionary Father Josiah Asa K’Okal have demanded investigations into the cause of death of their kin in eastern Venezuela.
According to the family, only thorough investigations can reveal the cause of the death.
The body of the 54-year-old priest was discovered by police officers hanging on a tree on January 2, after he was reported missing on January 1, who concluded that it was a suicide case.
But Steve Owiti who grew up with the priest reads foul play as he called on the Kenyan investigative agencies to step in.
“We always knew Josiah as a strong person, who was always ready to arbitrate wherever there was need,” said Mr Owiti, a former Kolwa East Member of County Assembly.
Mr Owiti said the man who was ordained at Chiga in Kisumu East in 1997 before being posted to Venezuela, was vocal and critical of President Nicolas Maduro’s dictatorship and tirelessly fought the drug barons in the South American country.
“He always raised concerns about his safety but maintained that he cannot run away from his missionary work and fighting for the minority community which adopted him after acquiring Venezuela citizenship.
Josiah last visited the country in 2022.
“We discussed even our electoral process and he expressed fear over the Venezuelan company's involvement in our electoral system,” recalled Mr Owiti.
Since it’s a tall order for his community in Venezuela to push for justice, he appealed to Kenyan government to pursue the case to its logical conclusion.
“This looks like there was a clearly orchestrated scheme to eliminate him. We have not been told of whether there was a suicide note while all his documents and phone were found left in the house,” he said.
Due to difficulties in acquiring travel visa to Venezuela, his family in Gem, Siaya County, will follow the live stream of his burial at the parish church of St Jose in Tucupita.
Back in the village where he was born and raised up, his cousin Adrian Ouma also raised concerns that the clergyman had been threatened many times owing to his stance with the Warao community (natives of Venezuela).
“The community has been opposing the government of President Maduro. He was loved by the locals and this threatened the government. He was loved by the community and he became the voice of the opposition,” he said.
“As a family we have left the matter in the hands of the Consolata Missionary to seek the truth on what came of our late brother. We believe they will press on the matter and serve justice to our fallen kin,” said Mr Ouma.
The community back in Kenya described him as humble and a man who helped many from his home village.
The late clergy joined seminary in 1993 with the Consolata Missionaries Congregation and was based in Venezuela.
According to Mr William Otieno, who hails from the same village, the late priest played a pivotal role in educating siblings and many members of the community.
“As a missionary he was not entitled to any salary, however, through connections Malele village has changed tremendously courtesy of his efforts. He established links with many people who helped him educate his villagemates,” he noted.
“Malele village in Gem has been nicknamed Runda of Siaya County because of the people who benefitted from his philanthropy. His demise is a huge blow to the community in Venezuela as well as Kenya,” said Mr Ouma.
According to his family members, he had written a will that upon his demise, his remains be interred in Venezuela.
According to local reports in Venezuela, the missionary left the congregation’s house in the Paloma sector of the community of Tucupita on his bicycle at around 9am on New Year’s Day, leaving his identity papers and mobile phone in the house.
At 10am he visited residents on a section of the national highway and was last seen at around 11am before the discovery of his body a day later hanging from a mango tree in a forest area in Guara, Monogas State.
