Kitengela four: Elijah Obuong's body exhumed

The body of Elijah Obuong, one of four men who disappeared mysteriously after they were last spotted having lunch in Kitengela in April, has been exhumed. 

In what is suspected to be a family dispute, residents of Chemelil in Muhoroni sub-county, Kisumu County, were in shock after word spread that relatives accompanied by Obuong’s mother dug up the body on Wednesday morning and carted it away.

Obuong was found dead 10 days after he and three of his friends were seen enjoying their lunch in Kitengela, Kajiado County, on April 19.

He was buried at his uncle’s home on May 13.

Kisumu County Commander Samuel Anampiu said a group of seven people suspected to be from Uyoma in Siaya County came in a hearse and dug up the body at the home of Mr Daniel Obudi Ogago in Holo village, West Songhor. 

"They exhumed the body of Elijah Obuong, nephew of Daniel Obudi who was buried on May 13, 2021. They removed the body, wrapped it in a polythene bag then drove away to an unknown destination. They reburied the empty casket before leaving," said Mr Anampiu. 

The police boss confirmed the seven included Ms Caroline Obuong, the mother of the deceased. The police commander said they could not immediately establish the motive behind the crime.

Dispute

Mr Obudi said his family woke up to the sight of a disappearing vehicle. 

Obuong’s mother is said to have disagreed with the family ahead of the burial and was overheard demanding that her son be laid to rest in Kano, Kisumu County.

“We don’t understand his mother's actions. She had, however, warned us that she would exhume the body but we did not take her seriously," said Mr Obudi.

The family eventually agreed to bury Abuong at his uncle’s place following claims that he had been born out of wedlock and had never been accepted by his stepfather.

Mr Obudi told Nation.Africa they also had had a disagreement on payment for the transportation of the body from Nairobi to his burial place in Kopere.

He said his sister – Obuong’s mother – had been traumatised following her son’s death.

"I cannot judge her actions, but whatever she did was not right," said Mr Obudi.

But Ms Akinyi said they exhumed the body because it had been buried in a shallow grave. She said due to ongoing rains, the coffin was exposed after the soil was washed away.

“I talked to my mother about it and she advised me to have the body exhumed and buried at a different place," she said.  

"We had the body buried at a relative's place in South Nyanza that I cannot disclose at the moment," continued Ms Akinyi.

The feud is thought to have been triggered by a disagreement on who would inherit Abuong’s property, which includes a vehicle.

Assistant chief Alfred Atieno said he arrived at the scene and found an open grave and an empty coffin.

"They had no court order to justify their actions. The matter is being investigated to establish where the body was taken to," he concluded.

Disappearance

Obuong and three close friends – Brian Oduor, Benjamin Imbai and Jack Ochieng – mysteriously disappeared after they were spotted having fun at a club in Kitengela town on April 19. 

They are believed to have been abducted after leaving the club around 3pm in their car, a Toyota Mark X .The car was later found abandoned some 500 metres from the club. 

The bodies of Imbai and Obuong were found 10 days later in river Mukungai, Murang'a County, alongside another unidentified body. The discovery of the bodies was reported to the police by residents and sand harvesters.

The bodies had no visible injuries except for a small spot on his forehead.

While the police are yet to establish the motive behind men’s killing, the other two, Jack Ochieng and Brian Oduor, have never been found.