Jakoyo Midiwo's family wants probe to rule out foul play  

The family of former Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo now wants detectives to investigate his death which occurred on Monday evening. 

The family, through his elder brother, Dr George Jalang’o Midiwo, said they want detectives to step in and rule out foul play in the sudden death of his younger sibling following a short illness.

His sentiments came a day before the planned post-mortem on the deceased to reveal the cause of death. The body is at the Lee Funeral Home.

“We have reported the matter to the police, who are carrying out investigations, just for us to know what really happened. It is just a matter of doing due diligence because Midiwo was fit, well and going about his activities and therefore, we cannot understand why and how he just fell ill and died,” said Dr Jalang’o.

He said since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr Midiwo had been limiting his movements and interactions with the public and would do exercises within his homestead in Gem, walking about 15 to 20 kilometres daily.

He is said to have travelled to Nairobi to celebrate his children’s academic milestones when he suddenly fell ill and died.

His daughter had recently graduated from a South African university while his son scored an A plain in the 2020 KCSE exam he sat at a Nairobi school.

Dr Jalang’o, while tracing the MP’s last moments, said he was surprised at how his brother got ill abruptly and died a day later.

Suffered cardiac arrest

He told the Nation that the former MP fell ill on Sunday morning, information he was given by his personal doctor.

“I was called and told that Mheshimiwa Midiwo was unwell and on the way to the hospital, doctor’s discovered that his blood pressure was low and he was admitted at around 5pm, where he was rushed to the Intensive Care unit at Nairobi Hospital,” said Dr Jalang’o.

Later on, he called the same doctor and he was told the former MP was on a dialysis machine after his kidneys reportedly failed, having suffered acute renal failure.

The doctors were still trying to establish why this had happened when the next day, despite waking up well and speaking to those who were around him, he suffered a cardiac arrest at around 4pm.

“For the last one year, he never complained to me of any ailment and we are actually concerned why he would have an acute kidney failure of sudden onset,” said Dr Jalang’o.

Among the causes of acute kidney failure are infections, liver failure, some medications -- especially for treating blood pressure -- as well as blood or fluid loss, serious burns and dehydration and heart failure.

Meanwhile, the family said they would come up with a tentative burial date for the former MP after they have laid to rest his elder sister Julia Owino on Saturday.

Burial plans

Dr Jalang’o said the MP is a national figure and currently they are in close consultation with the national government on the burial plans.

“After we bury my elder sister, we shall be announcing the burial date for Jakoyo,” he said.

“We have incorporated the Provincial Administration in the funeral committee to guide us on the best way to carry out the burial in strict adherence to the Covid-19 protocols,” said Dr Jalang’o.

Already, there are three committees in Gem, Kisumu and Nairobi making arrangements for the burial of the former vibrant legislator.

Dr Jalang’o said when news of Mr Midiwo’s death broke, his supporters in Gem stormed his home and some were not wearing masks for protection, something he wouldn’t want to see when at the burial.

He pointed out that the family is aware of the spike in Covid-19 infections currently being witnessed in Nyanza and that the family will be following the Ministry of Health protocols.

The family has lost four people in four weeks starting with Mr Midiwo’s grandmother on June 2, then his elder sister Julia seven days later, while his uncle Peter Odima was buried last Saturday.

A three-term MP, Mr Midiwo was elected the MP for Gem in 2002 through the National Rainbow Coalition, replacing Mr Joe Donde. From 2007, he served for two terms on the Orange Democratic Movement party ticket before he was dislodged from the seat in 2017 by current MP Elisha Odhiambo. 

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