Kenya Stockholm Blog

”Stroke Attack On Woman” Renders Tonny Odera Homeless

Mr. Tonny Odera, an HIV positive Kenyan in Stockholm, has been rendered homeless following a stroke attack of his ex-wife who has since undergone a successful brain surgery to save her life.

Speaking to KSB from the streets of Stockholm where he now lives, Tonny said that he was increasingly getting worried about his safety and health because he has no roof above his head.

“I wish to go public that I have nowhere to go because I am currently homeless due to machinations of relatives of my ex-wife”, he told KSB.

According to Tonny, he has been living at Tulinge after he separated with his wife but by the time she got a stroke, they were in the process of patching up things to explore possibilities that were left for them.

The improvement in their relationship then prompted Tonny to move from his flat in Tulinge to join his ex at her flat but after his ex got a stroke, Tonny told KSB that he was thrown out of the apartment by relatives of his ex who told him that he was no longer welcome in the house because the address was not his official residence as per Swedish records.

When his ex got a stroke, it was Tonny who called the Ambulance that rushed her to hospital but now, Tonny says that he has been banned from hospital visits. Tonny also claimed that there is a systematic process of sidelining him from the affairs of Heteroplus, an organization which, he said, he helped set up together with his wife and whose agenda is to help HIV positive people in Sweden.

On November 29th, Tonny was one of the main speakers at a Conference that was organized by Heteroplus which, he said, he organized together with his ex. It is shortly after the Conference that his ex got a stroke attack.

Sounding upset by relatives of his ex, Tonny said that there is a lot of money involved in Heteroplus which, he said, could be influencing attempts to keep him off the organization.

He said that when he moved from his flat at Tulinge, it was an agreement between the two of them and lamented that relatives of his ex are taking advantage of the fact that his ex is in a comma to try and wipe him off the map.

“(name withheld) has not given authority that I be vacated from the house because she cannot talk. If she wakes up, she will be angry that I have been thrown out of the house”, Tonny told KSB.

“When we agreed that we would live together, it was because my ex recognized my ability to play a positive role in her life and attempts by the family to cut me off because they want to cash in is unfortunate”, he said.

He said that although he has been taking a back seat in the situation, he now wants to alert the Kenya-Stockholm society that “something is wrong”.

He said that because of his exe’s situation, it is him who could now decide on matters pertaining to Heteroplus as an organization, not family members who are trying to cut him off “because he is not a member of the family”.

“I am struggling with emotions. Heteroplus was my brainchild. The fact that (name withheld) is now in an induced comma does not mean that her family members should mistreat me”, he said.

KSB has learnt that the patient was scheduled to go through a second operation on the throat to make an opening to enhance her respiratory system although it is still not yet clear whether the operation went ahead.

KSB believes that the family should try to sort out internal differences or misunderstandings away from the public domain as a mark of respect to the Kenyan lady who is not in a position to intervene or take any decisions.

In the meantime, KSB continues to call for prayers for the Kenyan lady and members of her family who must be going through a very difficult time. We appeal to the family to try and resolve any differences in the situation away from the media.

Okoth Osewe

December 13, 2008 Posted by makozewe | News & Analysis | 16 Comments