Kenyan basketball player found dead in the US
Keegan Oyugi, a Kenyan living in the US whose body was found in a crashed vehicle on in Savage, Minnesota.
What you need to know:
- Born and brought up in the US, Keegan returned to Kenya in 2019 when he registered to play for Kenya Ports Authority in the National Classic basketball league, helping them to finish third after losing to Ulinzi Warriors in the semifinals.
- He was in the KPA team that travelled to Madagascar for the Basketball Africa League (BAL) qualifiers where the team finished first to qualify for the Zonal championships in Kigali, where they finished fifth.
Former Kenya Ports Authority men's basketball team point guard Keegan Oyugi, who went missing two weeks ago, was found dead early Tuesday morning.
US-based Oyugi, who was set to make his debut for Kenya Morans at the Afrobasket finals in Rwanda in August, went missing in Minnesota on June 12.
His father, Richard Ogunugu Onkunya, confirmed his son’s death on a Facebook post Wednesday.
“Thank you to family and friends for standing with us for the past two weeks as we searched for our son Keegan.We finally found him but already deceased.It is a painful reality that we must accept. May our son Keegan “Dodo” RIP until we see him again”, his post read.
According to Lilian Otieno, co-chair of Minssota Kenyans Association, the matter is now a vehicle accident investigation after his body was recovered in Savage Tuesday morning.
Otieno said Keegan's car appeared o have veered off the highway near Hwy. 13 and Hwy. 101 in Savage.
She said Kenyans in Minnesota in collaboration with Minnesota United, a volunteer search and rescue organisation, have been conducting almost daily searches within a five-mile radius of where his cell phone was last pinged on the afternoon of June 12.
“The family has met with Minnetrista Police Department and BCA and they have confirmed that the car found today was Keegan’s car and he was identified as the only occupant in the car. The Hennepin medical examiner’s office has taken over for official identification," Otieno posted in a WhatsApp group.
Oyugi was last seen driving a red Ford Mustang in the prior lake area that had Kansas licence plates heading home to St Bonifacus according to a text he sent his brother at 4.30 am on June 12.
His family now wants the Minnestrista Police department, which has the jurisdiction over St Bonifacus, to hand over the case the case to a larger agency such as the Hennipin County Sheriff's department as they seek to know the truth about Oyugi’s death.
Keegan’s mother, Miriam Oyugi addressed a press conference organised by the Minnesota Kenyan Association and Minnosta United, outside the Minnesota department Wednesday. She called on the police department to speed up on investigations.
Born and brought up in the US, Keegan returned to Kenya in 2019 when he registered to play for Kenya Ports Authority in the National Classic basketball league, helping them to finish third after losing to Ulinzi Warriors in the semifinals.
He was in the KPA team that travelled to Madagascar for the Basketball Africa League (BAL) qualifiers where the team finished first to qualify for the Zonal championships in Kigali, where they finished fifth.
