Boniface Mutahi Gacheru, a Kenyan national whose funeral was announced in the latest Edition of Mitt I Botkyrka Salem, died in his apartment on 12th September before his body was discovered by Swedish authorities last month.
According to Linda Magnusson, an official at Isacsons Funeral Company responsible for Gacheru’s burial, the company received a contract from Botkyrka municipality to organize the funeral of Mr. Gacheru.
Linda told KSB that the decision to begin Gacheru’s funeral arrangements was reached after authorities at the municipality failed to trace Gacheru’s relatives.
“He was found dead in the house and the municipality told us to bury him because they could not trace his relatives”, Linda told KSB. She added that since they received instructions from the municipality, the company has sent an email to the Swedish Embassy in Nairobi but that there has been no response.
“We sent an email to the Embassy six days ago so that they could try and trace his relatives in Kenya but the Embassy has not responded”, the woman told KSB.
When questioned further, Linda said that her company placed an advert in the local newspaper about Gacheru’s funeral hoping that someone who knows him would notice it and take contact.
When told that the Kenyan has relatives in Kenya who may want to participate in his burial, she said that they will be very glad if that happens. “We are not going to bury him and will wait and see if any relatives come up”, she told KSB, adding that the KSB contact was very refreshing.
She disclosed that the company is not in a hurry to bury Gacheru and that they will be ready to hand over the body to relatives to transport it to Kenya as long as they can pay for the costs.
On further enquiry, Linda said that police searched Gacheru’s apartment and that they did not find any Will. She said that as far as police contacts were concerned, Gacheru was a Kenyan citizen and that is why the company has been trying to get in touch with the Swedish embassy in Nairobi to help trace his relatives.
Next to be contacted was the Botkyrka municipality. Unfortunately, the officer in charge of the case was away until Friday this week.
KSB then turned to the Kenyan Embassy to investigate how the Mission could help in tracking down Gacheru’s relatives in Kenya.
Mr. Aurther Andambi, an Embassy official, thanked KSB for the contact and after being furnished with details of the late Kenyan, Mr. Andambi promised that the Embassy will do everything possible to track down his relatives in Kenya. He also promised to update KSB about any progress.
The discovery of Mr. Gacheru’s body in his flat has shocked many Kenyans who knew him. The shock was worsened by the fact that the bad news was followed closely by news about the discovery of the body of Dr. Charles Njonjo, a Kenyan, in his apartment in Alby on Monday this week.
Okoth Osewe
About the Author
Bwana Osewe any update on this case?