A Committee to help organize the transportation of the body of the late Mr. Philip Owili Ongaro to Kenya has been set up in Stockholm. The Committee is headed by Mrs Hellen Opwapo, ODM-Scandinavia Chairperson, Dr. Margaret Obondo, Secretary and Mr. Mark Agar Gaya, the Treasurer.
The task of the Committee is to raise funds to finance the transportation of Mr. Owili’s body to Kenya for burial accompanied by his four children and his wife, Mrs Jane Owili. The total cost of the project has been placed at 70,000 kr (about 700,000 Kenyan shillings). A funds drive has been set for Saturday, 5th December 2007 although the venue will be announced later because consultations are still continuing.
Mr. Owili’s body was found in his flat last Tuesday. At the moment, the cause of death has not been established because a post mortem report is still awaited. Mr. Owili’s death has shocked members of the Kenyan community who knew him because at the time of his death, he appeared healthy, strong and out-going.
The Committee has appealed for solidarity from members of the Kenya-Stockholm community, Swedes, friends, sympathizers and well wishers. Speaking to KSB, Mr. Mark Gaya said that Mr. Owili’s family in Kenya is awaiting the body for burial and appealed to Kenyans to unite during this time of shock and sorrow and assist the family transport the body to Kenya.
Mr. Owili’s brother is resident in Sweden and, according to reports reaching KSB, he is allegedly not in talking terms with Mrs Owili because of long standing family feuds. It is reported that he has chosen to keep away from the fund raising activities.
A KSB agent has reported that the brother has ganged up with a group of Kenyans to try and undermine the fund raising effort, arguing that family members of the late Owili in Sweden have changed the key lock at Owili’s residence where the brother used to stay with the late.
Committee’s Appeal for Solidarity
According to Mrs. Jane Owili who was interviewed by KSB, the lock was changed through the assistance of police after the brother refused to surrender the key so that the family could have access to Owili’s flat in order to acquire documents and other personal details that were required in the process of collaboration with the Swedish authorities who are in contact with the family as the next of kin. Mrs Owili said that it is Mr. Owili’s eldest son who intervened to open the door in conjunction with police for official reasons.
Speaking on behalf of the Committee, Mr. Mark Gaya said that the Funeral Committee will not engage in any real or imagined family feud between the family and Owili’s brother because the agenda of the Committee is to fund raise so that the family can transport Mr. Owili’s body to Kenya for burial. He appealed to the late Owili’s brother and anybody around him to set aside any differences and help the Committee to fund raise.
Mr. Gaya also said that although Mr. Owili had a separate flat where he was living at the time of death, the Committee will be meeting at his official residence where his wife and children have been residing because, according to Luo culture, that is the house where bereavement has taken place.
Some Kenyans have accused the late Owili’s brother of being inconsiderate and irresponsible for seeking to set up a rival group to fight the family at a time when a huge amount of cash needs to be raised to transport Owili’s body to Kenya for burial.
Those who support him have claimed that the family has made him homeless by changing the lock although the family has countered by saying that they had to have access to the flat as the next of kin after he refused to hand over the keys.
As we went to press, there were no plans by Owili’s brother to organize any rival fund raising. Through KSB, both the Funeral Committee and the family, have appealed to Kenyans and well-wishers in Sweden to support the family and ignore Owili’s brother whom, they say, is also welcome to join in the fund raising activities. Another key member of the Committee is Mr. Oyuga Odada. The Committee tasked KSB with transmitting relevant information to the Kenyan and other publics in relation to its fund raising activities.
Okoth Osewe
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Pls can someone put a photo of Mr. Philip Owili on this site so that we can be sure who he was, at least to enable us chip in something. Rest in peace Owili
KSB: We are working on that. You should however be able to “chip in” even without a photo because you don’t need one to prove that he is gone.
Of course I will chip in BUT i would like to know him, maybe I knew him from some place. i do not mean bad, it was just a request.
Why add another straw to a family álready won down with agony of the loss of a loved one. The publication of the family situation was irrelevant here from my point of view.
What should have surfaced here was only issues apertaining to the fundraising and moral support for the family.
Owili Ongaro was a noble man. The aura around him was of peace and harmony and encouragement to the youth. He should be left to rest in peace and his family supported.
The committee should put an account number so that money can start rolling in. Publications should take into account that the youth may not be able to handle certain issues.
Please support the family wholeheartedly.
KSB: The family situation has not been published. It is the brother’s circumstance and the family’s position that has been highlighted. There are certain issues which have to be straightened once someone departs so don’t be emotional. The Committee has asked for solidarity with the family and that is clear.
Picture is coming up shortly Leila.. or Lilly
Oh, thank you Brayo for publishing his photo. I met him once around Fridhemsplan and he was such a nice elderly man to talk to. I recall he told me he was Owili, nothing more. Let me know how i can chip in, account nr.