Over 8.000 Kr raised at Emergency Hassan Harambee; The brother on his way to Kenya
The protagonists: Mrs Jane Owili and Hassan Nathan
A group of Kenyans who have been sympathetic to Mr. Hassan Nathan, the late Owili’s brother, have said that the Owili Committee cheated them that cash raised at last Saturday’s Owili harambee would be shared so that a portion would be hived to the brother to help him finance his ticket to Kenya.
Speaking at an “Emergency Funds drive” called to raise cash for the brother’s ticket, the group of more than 20 Kenyans and friends accused the Owili Committee of colluding with the family to transfer all funds to the family while leaving the brother out of the cash distribution. Discussion about the topic was hot and appeals had to be made from time to time for contributions to be limited so that the agenda of fund raising could continue.
The group dismissed a statement released by Dr. Margaret Obondo, the Owili Committee Secretary, who said that the Committee was not aware that cash raised was to be shared and that the brother would also benefit.
Those present told KSB that it was dishonest for Dr. Obondo to have released the statement because during the opening session of the harambee, it was Dr. Obondo herself who made the opening address and said that cash raised would go towards helping six family members in Sweden. “Dr. Obondo named these people and Hassan was one of them. The last person she named was Mrs Jane Owili”, said a Kenyan who added that he was among the first to arrive at the harambee.
The group said that attempts to cover up the conspiracy between the Committee and the Owili family to keep Hassan out will not work because people are adults and they know what happened. They said that Hassan was more related to the late Owili than his wife and after the problems the brother had gone through including being locked out of his flat, the last the Owili Committee could have done was to frustrate his efforts towards travelling to Kenya by keeping him out of the cash sharing deal and denying that such a deal existed when his friends had attended the harambee because of the deal.
During yesterday’s Emergency funds drive at Continental Hotel, a total of 8.120 Kr was raised for Hassan towards his ticket so that he could travel home to bury his brother. Contributors, some of whom attended the Owili harambee, said that they could have raised more money if Hassan had gone ahead with his harambee last Saturday. “We exhausted ourselves financially hoping that Hassan would benefit”, they said.
Those who contributed at the Emergency harambee were: Eric Odhiambo, Brother Banda from Malawi, Jared Odero, Sandy, George Wamuga, Joseph Okulo Misala, Mark Gaya, Albinus Odada, Alice Odhiambo, Hulda Palm, Anna Otieno, Prisca Försman, Nancy Osumba, Mohammed Abdullahi, Man Nzoro, Elizabeth Wairimu, Jasper Orieny, Okoth Osewe, Cathrine Maundu, Huda Ceasar from Uganda and Malko Abdi from Somalia. Earlier in the evening, Hassan’s two friends from Sierra Leone and Gambia also came to console him.
Owili Committee Statement Dismissed
According to Hassan, he needed 6.600 kr to purchase a ticket to Kenya. As I write, Hassan is on his way to Arlanda International Airport to board a plane to Kenya to bury his brother. He thanked everybody who attended the Emergency funds drive. He said that he had mobilized all his friends to the Saturday fund raising hoping that he would get a portion of the cash to go towards his air ticket but that the Committee cheated him.
He said that although Mr. Mark Gaya and Mr. Oyuga Odada had raised the issue of him being given his part of the bargain, both Dr. Obondo, the Committee Secretary, and Mrs Hellen Opwapo, the Committee’s Chairlady, overruled the two. Apart from Mr. Mark Gaya, members of the Owili Committee failed to turn up for the Emergency Hassan harambee.
Speaker after speaker condemned the Committee with one member saying that if the Committee believed in justice, the brother could have been given a share so that those who had attended the harambee to support both the brother and the family could be satisfied that their contributions had gone to meet their expectations.
According to the Owili Committee statement, Hassan could not be given any money because cash that was raised was not even enough to transport the late Owili’s body to Kenya.
This argument was repeatedly countered by those present who said that, since there was a conflict, the Committee could have called a new harambee or given Hassan “even 3.000 kr” as ways of sorting out the balance on both sides were looked into. They said that another option was for the Committee to consult Hassan to find out what he thought about the cash split since he was a beneficiary. “They handed over the money while assuming that Hassan was an outsider”, said a member.
The group said that the position that Hassan would be given money was made public through KSB on Friday night and that if this was wrong information, the Committee should have corrected it at the harambee so that those present could know. “Instead, Dr. Obondo told us that all six family members would benefit and named Hassan as one of them”, said an irate member who added that even Hassan was present when he was being named as a beneficiary. They viewed the Obondo Statement as a poor attempt at damage control.
The group regretted that the Owili Committee was being led by respectable people within the Kenyan society who should have understood the consequences of keeping Hassan out of the financial transaction. They said that they felt let-down and warned Kenyans to learn from the experience. Many of them believe that the Committee was siding with the family in the Hassan-Family conflict, a position which, they said, was wrong because the Committee ought to have been neutral.
Members of the group gave their names to be published at KSB and said that anybody who doubted their views on the issue should contact them directly for further discussions. “The truth is that we were taken for a ride by the Owili Committee”, they told KSB. Mr. Hassan thanked KSB for having helped him mobilize friends and well-wishers at short notice.
Okoth Osewe
About the Author
It is commendable that Luo came and had a gathering.Whats saddening is death had folks to have a converstion.What has taken palce should be a pointer to all ,that communication and dialogue has to be put in place amongst “Oganda Luo”.
Ean Wuod Luo
Odera
KSN: Tonny, Kenyans from different regions and countries came to support Hassan.
It is laudable that the Kenyans and non-Kenyans who attended the emergency fundraising for Dr. Nathan Hassan contributed wholeheartedly. I was present and will stress that the crowd consisted of non-Luos and other Africans. Tony Odera, let us go beyond “tribe” by looking at the bigger picture.
We overcame the alleged failures of the Owili Committee by reaching our goal in less than two hours. This spirit should continue and justice must be done whenever an agreement has been reached involving public funds.
So why should death be the yardstick for conversation according to Tony Odera? The Kenya-Stockholm Luo community has lost four members so far in 2009 and it’s only Owili’s demise that was dramatic due to a long running family feud. Otherwise I don’t think there’s a need for dialogue. Spouses and families need to clean up their own backyard.
Am happy that Africans still show solidarity when an emergency arises. From what’s documented at KSB, am disappointed that the Owili Funeral Committee did not fulfill its promise to hand over a portion of the donation to Hassan. I hope that this will be a lesson for others in the future.
Congratulations to this group that did a great job in meeting Hassan’s financial needs.
At last ,l m seeing signs of progressive blocks of thought.What was intended was to rouse debate about the position of “family” ,more so in the so called “daispora”.Its time to sit down and recaliberate what we know as “jokangato” “wat”.
Ean Wuod Luo
ODERA
Before l forget we Luos are not a tribe ,we are a nation by right under any international law.So Jared, stop belittling yourself and station.We are The Luo Nation
Ean Wuod Luo
Odera
I still think Mr Hassan could have gone about the whole issue in a diplomatic way, afterall the main priority was to take the body home where his grieving mother awaits. Nobody is perfect. Every family has feuds and times of despair but this was / is not the time to be dragging in ongoing(as is evident) family grudges and disputes. Let us instead take this time to pray for God’s loving care and continued comfort to the family and dear beloved brother as they grieve their loved one.
Thankfully Kenyans and non-Kenyans came through for Mr Hassan and he will now be able to bury his dear beloved brother!
Keep it up Tony; you are the genius. I still stick to my argument that using words to alienate the solidarity shown by the non-Luo at Hassan’s fundraising, only makes you petty. Whatever you write is bound to be interpreted either way. The rest about dialogue, family, etc. should be handled by those concerned, beginning with you.
I wonder why Tony Odera would want to pump us with unnecessary definitions concerning the Luo.In Kenya we have a tribe called the Luo who belong to the other 42 major tribes.This man is groundless. Maybe his life sucks so he is seeking attention.
Regardless of what people say, jaluos are more united than any other tribe in Kenya. They have taken Owili’s body together with six family members home to bury their dead within a week and after just one harambee. When a Kenyan died and she had to be taken home together with her five kids, it took kikuyus 30 days to take the body home. Look at what these jaluos did when they noticed that Owili’s brother was gonna be stranded in Stockholm. They organized a new harambee with a few friends from other tribes in a hotel and raised more than 8,000 kr in two hours and the guy is now in Kenya ready for the funeral. This is great unity. This guys will do anything for a dead body!
And look at what they did when maggero’s body was not to be taken home during the cremation problems. They made a lot of noise and said everything possible until people said “Tosha”. They even hired a lawyer and lost. Which kikuyu could do that for a dead body not related to anybody by blood? I know of a kikuyu lady whose body was quietly buried in Stockholm because of fear that enough money may not be raised to take the body home.
Another jaluo lost his dotta in Kenya this year and had to go there with his wife. I think they raised 40 grand or something overnight and the guy went home. I think we kikuyus should learn something from these guys. Let us just be honest and congratulate them. A kikuyu lost his mother recently and he could not even call a harambee because he was afraid of the shit kikyus will say. The kikuyus have been saying that the guy raised money that his brother had died but then he brought the brother to Sweden and helped him make mappepe after the harambee. I am a kikuyu and I know the talk. They said that the guy used to have a kikuyu girlfriend who knew members of his family and when they broke up, the kikuyu girlfriend released the secret. Wakikuyu wnzangu, andu matari ndundu mahuragwo na njuguma imwe.
@ Odera your friends are those around you and are always the ones who come to you when you are in need, sad for you to put tribalism.
@ Owilis brother you are a mature man who should have afforded the ticket.Your brother had some kids who are now the first priority, you are fifth priority after your parents.
@ Kenyans where are we proceeding to ,these Owilis kids are brought up in Sweden, yaani they have been taught to depend on the harambee system! We should have this like a wake up call,we are waiting for others to finance us to travel to Kenya to bury our dead ones.This is an example of a kenyan who has been here for years, dies and taken to be buried in Kenya financed by other kenyans,actually kenyans have been pleaded to finance! Since his been here long how sure those in Kenya will remember him?
I think we should advance and broaden our argumentation,mentality, reasoning,financial support and renew our ways of burying the dead. If one wants to be buried in Kenya he/she should be ready to finance himself/herself.
Lately people are making it like a will, nikikufa nipelekwe Kenya.I think the will should be, NIKIKUFA NIPELEKWE KENYA, NIMEACHA 100,000KR KWA NORDEA.
Jannie, you talk like you think with you mbuzzi. Taking bodies to Kenya for burial is not a Kenyan problem. The other day, Ugandans took the body of Hussein to uganda and they called for harambee. A guys from Tz died here and he was changad by watanzania and taken home. Taking Kenya bodies home should be the work of the government but just tell that to our sleeping ambassador. It is aklso a cultural thing so stop being an idiot. If you don’t want to be changad, take your shit handred thao to nordes and let us know. Africans don’t plan to their deaths so leave owili to rest in piece you chokora. I hope you get my point ngombe.
Thanks Jared
Ean
Wuod Luo
Odera
Njuguna:your examples are excellent and point upon our stay in Sweden. This is the kind of debate required to chart the way forward.I fully agree that Africans don’t plan their deaths due to cultural beliefs and other matters,yet have basic plans in case of such.
To Jannie: show us your 100,000kr at NORDEA with a clear statement that you wish to be buried without a harambee, then you can start preaching to us to follow your example.It is easy to criticize others before you land into the same shit hole.
Marehemu Owili lived here for many years,had his personal problems which surfaced after his death,yet it is the combined force of his community and well wishers that has enabled his body to be transferred home in good time for burial.
His own brother might have afforded a ticket to Kenya, but read the explanation here at KSB stating that the Owili Funeral Committee shortchanged him. There was an earlier deal which was breached.There is no fun in holding an extra fundraising within two days with Xmas coming soon.However, people were charged and had to see his brother board that plane to bury Philip.If some people had planned that he should not be at his burial,then Kenyans have shown their might by ashaming them.
The Funeral Committee can defend itself as much as possible,yet there was an agreement concerning Hassan’s ticket.It is this that angered the sympathisers who met at the Continental to raise his money.Kenyans are well aware of life insurance and all that, but fundraising is a normal thing.
Njuguna’s example of the late Ssembatya from Uganda is a case in point that attracted all types of Africans and Kenyans particularly, played a big role.Do you think people were concerned with his insurance?No, the most urgent thing was to raise his money and send the body to Uganda,as he had wished.
Jannie, show us your money at NORDEA with your full names and wishes for a burial place,otherwise shut your trap!
Indeed Ndinda ,well wriitten ,but The Luo are not one of the 42 tribes ,we are a nation encompassing regions from the Sudan to the Congo and if you you are not conversant, the whole Nam Lolwe.Take a rethink.
Ean Wuod Luo
Odera
15.Nyochuodho,Hassan’s story is well written at KSB and even the report concerning his Continental harambee shows the protest that people had against the Funeral Committee.
The family wrangles surfaced from the time he was locked out of Philip’s apartment where he is rightfully registered. Hassan went public with this to show how unfairly he was treated.
Once Owili’s family called upon the Kenyans to raise money for his burial, everything ceased to be private. When you take public money, you must account for it. People will question, otherwise be like Jannie and save 100,000kr at NORDEA. Owili’s family is indebted to Kenyans to the tune of 50,000kr until he is buried.
People later contributed their personal funds to send Hassan home for the burial.How would you feel if you were treated by your relatives this way: locked out and denied the money you were promised? Sending the body home was priority one, but why was he lied to?
Let us not support immoral acts that shut out those who might be socially deprived and are perceived as weak, due to their polite nature.
Osewe moment pic 174 is a killer.Sorry to change the topic but give us a chance to comment on moment pics.Kasupuu kweli!She a model?
Let me first go on record by registering my condolences to the entire Owili family, Jane & the children, Hassan and those in Kenya, for their loss. Philip was an acquaintance that I have known for many years and was not a man, as far as I know, that sought strife rather would choose to withdraw than engage in an unsavory scene. I hope the whole family will have this aspect of Philip’s character in mind as they take his mortal remains to their final resting place. This is a time to morn, set aside differences, draw together as a family to find strength and fortitude in each other and see the bigger picture. Egoism is not a virtue and is ugly under any circumstance.
E.Njuguna, your comments are not only nauseating but you seem to be wrapped up in a cocoon of tribalism. You are the kind of fellow that brings shame to any Kenyan, regardless of ethnic origin and represent that mentality that plagues us Kenyans. You really need to educate yourself so as to broaden your perspectives, to see beyond the simple notion of tribal affiliations and stereotypes. Sadly you are not alone, even in the Diaspora where we are supposed to know better, but to actually see your level of buffoonery is quite staggering and it is my hope that other nationals reading this blog do not form opinions in regards to Kenyans on the basis of comments of the likes of E.Njuguna. Moreover your insulting language towards Jannie is just despicable. She does have a point to put across but she did so with as much tact and finesse as a sledge hammer hitting a wall. Perhaps there should be debate on the issue she raises, but this would mean Kenyans would be put to the test in terms of unity as a people. Granted, welfare associations based on ethnic origin would be the natural way to go, but the strain on the members would be substantial if confronted with money raising projects due to the limitations caused by membership criteria. Therefore a more national association would fit the bill but unfortunately the Kenyan society in Sweden mirrors that of our Nation where ethnical superiority complexes, suspicion and prejudice are the order of the day. Moreover, just like back home there is a serious lack of leadership and the notion of nationalism is scoffed at in lieu for more federal “ethnic” solutions.
Our lack of vision is most obvious especially in times of crisis, and it’s not surprising that a people in this situation rush to find refuge in the perceived security of the tribe. Thus the mentally shown by E.Njuguna is spawned, disseminated and anchored in the mindset of Kenyans.
I commend Njuguna keep up the fight
Ean Wuod Luo
Odera
if hassan was to get any money from the 42,000kr raised for a ticket then it is also fair that owili’s 5 children also should have gotten money for tickets and in that case we would have been left with the body in stockholm. so i believe the committee did the right thing to apportion all the contributed money to facilitate the transportation of the late owili’s body. Agar Gaya
The committee did a fantastic job.
Jacquie
Lies and yet more lies form the Kenyan community. You can read the Owili Committe’s thoughts: OK, let us make peace by giving Hassan the keys to his brother’s apartment so that he does not hold an alternative harambee at the Continental.But once this is done, and have collected the funds, we give everything to Owili’s wife because we are her friends, then lock-out the troublesome brother not to attend the burial.
The Committee succeeded by calling for truce,then got Hassan to bring all his friends and sympathizers to the main harambee. What shocked the Committee later was the new fundraising on December 8th, that raised 8000kr to send him home. They all traveled on the same plane and I believe it was dramatic that the rejected cornerstone was there to attend the burial of his own brother. The future is here and what goes around comes around.
Hello ,
To all those who percieve my stumping for the LUO as tribalism ,you miss the point.
Am a citizen of Kenya who is not averse to acknowledging my community.Infact am proud to belong to The Luo.My position has in no way belittled body , community in any form or fashion for their contribution to the Late Owili’s family and kin.As a matter of fact l interact with folks from diverse communites.Lets get real we all belong some where, speak the language of our ancestors and follow the cultures and values that they have bequethed us .If any one wishes a deeper discussion on the matter,they are welcome at any “temple”.
Ean
Wuod Luo
Odera
Tony Otieno Odera, people followed your shallow debate on the LUO Nation trash when one Okoko trounced your stupid thoughts at KSB in 2008. Nobody gives a Damn whether you belong to a Nation or tribe. Remember too that those debating are fully aware of the geographical spread of the Luo people across Africa.
Who are not proud of their origins? Ask the Mijikenda, Wadigo or the Kamba community, and all will answer that they are struggling to survive, and not spending time on trivial ancestral debates that partly contributed to the post-election violence after Kenya’s elections in 2007. People want to move past the socio-political categories. Tanzania went above such categories when the late first President Nyerere de-tribalized the country.
If you are that smart Odera, write articles or a book about the Luo Nation concept rather than chocking us with your tribal vile mixed with comments in Dholuo at KSB. If I were Osewe, I would ban all your comments with Dholuo words. Don’t think we are stupid enough to be taught by a retard like you about the global composition of the Luo community.
There are more concerns within the Kenyan Diaspora, other than your frivolous comments full of chest-thumping. Since we have only one life, use it to spread worthwhile messages instead of such underdeveloped ones.
You hinted in passing matters about family relations during the late Owili’s funeral. Why don’t you spend time writing an article on this? Nobody will respect your squeaks about the origins or membership of your so-called Luo Nation. You will always remain Antony Odera in Stockholm who is struggling to get his head above murky waters, unless you change.
Times have gone, and Okoko wrote that you are soon 50 years old. Why don’t you spend your energy on discussions that when revisited (after you’ve gone), will mirror you as a smart person rather than this stagnant man who keeps chipping in with personalized comments concerning your ethnicity? No wonder each African market has a mad man.
At your age and intellectual achievement (if there’s any), you could use KSB to raise pertinent issues. Shiku Steve and the former Wundanyi MP Mwandawiro Mganga, use this forum to write progressive thoughts. Trust me, scholars like Professors Ogot, Were and the late Okoth Ogendo would throw you in the garbage pit, by just listening to your parochial thinking.
The mark of a wise man is seen through his articulation of issues using (scientific) proof to support his theories or assumptions. Have you noticed that in most of your KSB contributions, you are always a troll, ending up in soliloquies?
It is time you re-established yourself socially and intellectually, otherwise your current inclination will keep reminding KSB readers that you are the same spent force you have always been since arriving in Sweden.
Otieno Odera, why are you so fixated on the Luo Nation notion?There are more serious issues to engage in that will make you a hero or pathfinder in your community.Read Milton Muigai’s critique on narrow thinkers and you will realize that you are stuck in a time warp that will only accord you a pariah status. You have personal problems chewing your conscience, so why worry with peripheral matters? Stop wasting your time writing things that will never affect the thinking of many Kenya-Stockholmers.
Surely this Odera reminds me of racists who claim they once in a while say hello to foreigners, to justify that they don’t discriminate against them.He thus claims to interact with people from various backgrounds. It’s stupid too of him to keep reminding people about their cultural values as if they are not aware.He should come with a new post on his troubled mind,instead of corrupting this one.Sometimes one feels sorry for his polluted thinking.