  KANO VILLAGERS WERE SHOCKED AS THE DECOMPOSED BODY OF A KISUMU TYCOON WAS EXHUMED IN A LEGAL  TUSSLEÂ
 Kisumu, 21/02/2008
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  By Leo Odera Omolo
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  The completely decomposed body of a Kisumu and Nyando districts based business tycoon was recently exhumed from the grave after burial for a couple of weeks in what observers believed was a struggle among his family members over the inheritance of his massive wealth.
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  Mzee Paul Odero Isacka, aged about 88 years, died of natural causes more than a month ago after a long bout with illness.
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  Commonly known to his peers as “the Lord Mayor of Ahero, Paul Isacka Odero was a prominent businessman in both Kisumu and Ahero towns and also a large scale sugarcane farmer around Tamu settlement scheme in Muhoroni area.
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  For many years he was the main distributor of beer and Tobacco in the old larger Kisumu district and built his wealth from his sugarcane farming and other businesses in Kisumu and Ahero towns. He was also involved in the real estate development business.
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  Soon after Odero’s death, his immediate family made elaborate funeral arrangements. The plan detailed how the tycoon’s body would be removed from the Aga Khan Hospital mortuary and driven to his Kisumu Milimani House for a brief stop-over and public viewing.
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  Also in the burial plan was an arrangement for the late Mzee Odero to stay briefly at his ancestral home in Nyakoko Village, Kamagaga sub-clan in North East Kano location before his body was driven to his Muhoroni farm house for a public viewing and overnight stay..
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  Kamagaga sub-clan is the place where Mzee Paul Odero had established his  traditional homestead. His first wife’s house is still standing there and his relatives wished him to buried there in accordance with Luo tradition and culture..
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  But in the early 1960s Mzee Odero became one of the local entrepreneurs and pioneers who moved to the new settlement  in Muhoroni. He bought a large scale farm with a complete ultra-modern European house that had been built using white settler aid lived. Odero, a polygamist, had several homes. He lived in the European-stle house with his first wife and also moved his other family members to the settlement.Â
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  Mzee Odero, however, did not dismantle his rural home nor the rural house of his first wife. In Luo tradition, this is symbolic and is taken to mean that the traditional home remained intact. Even his elder son Peter Oguko Odero maintains a cottage in the same abandoned homestead even though he divides his time between Kisumu where his first wife resides and Eldoret where his second wife resides.
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  On the day of the body’s transportation to Muhoroni, the Jo-Kamagaga sub-clan members armed themselves with crude weapons. They intercepted the body which was being transported on the back of a pick-up and forcefully seized it after beating up the truck driver.
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  The clan felt that Mzee Odero’s Muhoroni home was only a commercial farm house. They believed that, because he had bought someone else’ readily made home, the Muhoroni homestead should not be his final resting place. They forcefully grabbed the body and buried it in his original old home. The burial, according to eye witnesses, took place at 9pm in the evening. Neither Mzee Odero’s wives nor his sons were there to witness the burial.
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  The Muhoroni villagers’ actions prompted Mzee Odero’s sons to move to court and demand that his body be exhumed and handed over to them for burial at his Muhoroni home. Despite having enormous wealth, the business mogul never wrote any death will.
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  The court ordered that the body be exhumed and preserved in a morgue pending the full hearing and determination of the suit brought forth by Mzee Odero’s eight relatives.
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  Mzee Odero’s body was exhumed by prisoners under tight security and was mounted by heavy armed police men. Villagers who dare to moved close to the grave were tear-gassed and kept at a distance as the security men surrounded the old homestead while a prisoner dug out the body.
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  The empty grave was later partially covered with an old door. People in Kamagaga village, located about 5km north of Ahero town are still startled by the event.
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 It was not possible to immediately establish which mortuary the decomposing body was moved to but eye witnesses report that it was carried in a polythene bag as the coffin was left intact in the grave.
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  Family members were unwilling to discuss the matter.
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  Ends
  Leooderaomolo@yahoo.com
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This is not good a cording to luo tradition the husband should be buried at first wifes home. Even if she is very poor, barren, or in a thutch house and even the fact that he had some that doesnt matter. How many were they 60 like akuku denja?
I personally think that the community should not interfere with an individual’s wish. Some of us have become slaves of tradition which in some cases has become irrelevant. I have settled in Rift Valley and my original home is Kisumo. My simba still stands in my late parent’ homestead but I have settled with my wife and children in Rift Valley. That is where I will be buried, period.
Let us do away with repugnant traditions.
In fact ,Odero’s is pathetic in the sense that he never bothered
to destroyed the first home as per luo custom. He was the one who confused his relatives.Therefore his burial at his original home was inorder.As a luo elder,Odero was suppose to be buried
at his wangaya clan in north east kano not muhoroni. Jokaoyuko
is avery big family with outstandarding personalities among them and Odero being one of their respected sons,it was inorder for them to bury Odero the way they wanted.
The real Odero was more than just what i have just read. I am hurt and sorry that the so called(leo) was given or passed a rather half-baked job. The story is so inaccurate. Firstly ODERO the father i knew and remember with great fondness did not buy a white settlers house, but did build all his houses from scratch.His first son was the late Joshuo ambira oyuko and not as stated above. I would kindly ask the writer Mr LEO to use his’quick eye and mind’ and find the true facts about the deceased. Lastly i would kindly ask people to wait for the court outcome as this has been a rather stressful time for all the family. What a shame my fathers legacy has been mirrored with a clan he did not even give a minute of his life for,that shows how illiterate and ignorant this villagers are.
What a shame the memory of my father has been mirrored by the so called clan members who he did not give a minute of his life, because of their ignorance and lack of education. My father whom i remember with great fondness would have found it a joke that someone should want to write a half baked story for the public to read with no truth in it . This whole article is wrong or rather based on hearsay.My fathers eldest son is the late Joshua ambira oyuko!!! secondly i would kindly request the family of the late odero be left in peace untill the court case is over and my loving father is laid to rest in peace.
It’s sad to know of Paul Odero’s death through this column. Paul Ishaka “Japesa Omuko Got” That’s how we refer to him when in the farms. Anyway, one of my farms is neighboring his and was a loving person to me. He always called me “Toto” for my love of farming despite my metropolitan/cosmopolitan life. He made me realize that life in evergreen grass(sugar fields) can just be as modern and hi-tech as any!!!
I know much more… a lot much more will happen under his circumstances. He talked to occassionally. He had a high-handedness in his property and domestic administration that can entangle any defined Luo cultural set up.A lot is yet to come!!!.
May God rest his soul in peace.
NA HILI LIWE FUNZO KWA WAJALUO WOTE …”
NDIKURU WILL”
GEDURU DALA – LET EVERYONE KNOW WHERE YOU WANT TO BE BURIED
THIS IS BECOMING AN UNNECESSARY WITCH KUOTO AMANGO PROMINENT LUOS.
Domnic do me a favour shut up. you say Odero’s is pathetic in the sense that he never bothered
to destroyed the first home as per luo custom. He was the one who confused his relatives.Therefore his burial at his original home was in order. Do you know how my dad was buried? find out out before you make your pathetic statement.Where did you learn your luo cutoms? l don’t think you being one of the luo has published where you should be buried so don’t tell us that my father owed luo clan or Jokaoyuko any statement where he should be buried that is between him and his first wife not the so called Jokaoyuko or the clan who my father never bothered with. Domnic next time you want to make a comment about my father go back to your books and do a bit of revision as you talk s—, Give me a break
Dr Kinyanito do us all a faviuor the family of Paul Isaka Odero. Can you stop discussing my late father in the pub at Nairobi west. If you want anybody to buy you a drink don’t use my father as a means of getting drinks off people. You and your wife Mary discust me, after what she did to my father and then you now again talking about my father in the pub. Stop it and get on with you lifes as the two of you are doing. Us the family our lifes stopped when your mother in-law and Mary your wife decided to bury my father at night surrounded by thugs. l remember your wife telling you over the phone what they had done to my father??? Tell your wife eventually when my dad is finally laid to rest in Muhoroni not to show her face plus her evil mother. (WALLS HAVE GOT EARS)REMEMBER DR KINYANITO YOU ARE ALSO ON THE LINE PLUS YOUR WIFE MARY.AM SURE YOUR HEALTH IS NOT GOOD. BEING A DOCTOR IS NOT GOING TO SAVE YOU>
Why all the bitterness, Ruth, just bare in mind that all of us will die, including yu , and stop judging peoples health, yu never know, who will make it under first. Your dad should have left a will, but since he didnt am sure he had reasons for that.
Lets pray he gets adecent burial, atleast he deserves that. Also, we should bare in mind, that we will also die at one point in time , whether we are in good health now or not. The old man (RIP) should have left a WILL but since he dint am sure he had good reasons not to…..
Francisca l don’t know who you are; shut your mouth and stop talking about my dad having a reason for not leaving a will. Let me tell you something young big mouth low class woman – – when it comes to my father l will judge. l repeat, Mr Kinyanito and the wife Mary are evil and they deserve to die and if am given a chance l will be the first one to pull the triger. so what who cares, the two of them will sure die before me and l know that, the only thing l pray for is there death to be worse than my father. And l hope they are burried at night without anybody present. FRANCISCA SHUT YOUR BIG MOUTH
Am sure this is a very hard time for the family of the late mzee Odero so please give them the peace of mind and stop dwindling in their affairs. Ruth I completely understand you. This was ur father and you have all the right to take control but remember not to judge on matters that only God has control. May you find the consolation that only He can give.
Eric thanks for your kind words, the only thing you need to know is Mary deserves to die and l wish and pray to god if he is listning for her death to be painfull. For what she has done to my father even though she never cared for him when he was ill or bothered to see him and she only lives in Nairobi. Nairobi and Kisumu is not far, but when she hard of my fathers death she actually took a flight just to go and hire thugs to torture my dead father. She is a very evil person and god help me l don’t set eyes on her as long as l live in this world.
(MARY KINYANITO YOU ARE EVIL PERSON AND YOUR MOTHER PERES OGONDA NYAWALO)
My question is why is it taking this long for this case to come to an end? It seems the whole story has become a money spinning saga. Why is a case like this being prolonged for this long? Lets not trade off my father’s image as a man who failed to write a will!! As a daughter my duty is to preserve or defend the honour of my dad. I hope and trust in the kenyan legal system to make the right judgement in the end. The burning question is:will the families accept the verdict!!! I’m affraid to say that my siblings and the rest of Odero’s family will fight to the end for justice irrespective of the costs!! My father was not one to give up even when faced with the impossible. His success in life was not achieved in one day but through a lifetime of hard work and determination. AS FOR MARY KENYANITO AND THE HUSBAND I PRAY AND HOPE THIS WILL NOT BE THE END BUT A BEGINNING TO THEIR SAD LIFE AHEAD. AS THE SAYING GOES YOU ONLY REAP IN LIFE WHAT YOU SOW, MRS KENYANITO AND FAMILY!!!! THUS GOES FOR YOUR WICKED EVIL MOTHER TOO.
Ruth Ogembo,
This is certainly a difficult time for you and your family. Some of these things that happen are beyond our understanding and what makes the difference is how we decide to take them.
I am a bit concerned about your reactions as you stand up for your dad(R.I.P), anyone would do what you are doing. I hope and pray that you get over this and heal fast. However, please refrain from the ‘death-talk’ against Dr Kinyanito and his wife. Should anything happen to him, this can be used as a motive and would get you into more problem.
I am with you in grief..it is a difficult time, but please seek comfort in God. Pray , read your Bible and everything will be okay. Good day, God bless and invite peace(forgiveness).
Onyango to be honest with you l don’t really care of what can be used against me. Who cares? if anything happened to them, they can drop dead for all l care. For what mary and the husband did to my father am prepared and ready if they want to sue me let them go ahead. I am ready to die or go to jail.What me and the family are going through and are still going through there is nothing worse than that. Bring it on Mary print this out and take it to nearest police station and press charges. MARY EVIL DEVIL SATAN
ONYANGO I CAN’T GET INTO PROBLEM MORE THAN WHAT IS HAPPENING TO MY FATHER RIGHT NOW.
ONE THING I PERSONALLY WANT TO TELL MR AND MRS KENYANITO IS WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND THUS THE SAYING THE TALLER THEY ARE THE HARDER THEY FALL. AS FOR MY SISTER RUTH OGEMBO ,SHE HAS MY FULL SUPPORT. MARY WAS NEVER THERE FOR HIS FATHER IN TIME OF NEED AND IN HIS DEATH SHE WAS QUICK TO HIRE THUGS AND BURRY MY DAD HENCE PUTTING THE WHOLE FAMILY IN THIS PREDICAMENT!! WHY! WHY! MARY? MR KENYANITO SHAME ON YOU!!! DID I HEAR THAT YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN THAT YOU ARE NOT THE SON TO THE LATE MR PAUL ISAAC ODERO BUT JUST A GUY WHO HAPPEN TO HAVE MARRIED HIS PATHETIC,SAD DAUGHTER. WHEN WILL YOU HEED MY ADVISE TO START CONCENTRATING ON YOUR FAMILY HOME (NYAKACH), KANO IS NOT YOUR HOME…..ANYBODY READY TO TAKE THE ODERO CLAN HAVE YOUR SAY WITH SOME CAUTION!! WELL DONE SIS(RUTH OGEMBO)!!!!
Mary l understand you called my sister Auma, and asked her to talk to me. why can’t you ring me yourself? You evil person. You think you can sneak without being seen, take a flight to Kisumu pay your lawyer. What do you want with my dads body? he is dead Mary. Your mother Peres Ogonda forced herself on my dad wanted to take her own life if my father didn’t marry her. the same goes for you, l don’t know what you want to do with my fathers remains? You and your sisters are so used to sleeping with your cousins. As for you Kinyanito go and pick your twin daughters that you fathered with late Nora(Marys sister} my dad is no longer there to maintain your bastered children and they are suferring from malnutrition and your mother in law also needs doctors attention she is sufferring from diabetic and she also has got a wound on her leg that you can smell as far as the gate. the whole wangaya village is sticking of you mother inlaws smell. l understand you are a doctor tell you wife to stop wasting her money paying the lawyer to fight where my father should be burried instead use the money to treat your mother inlaw who is on her death bed. the money your wife Mary is wasting will be better spent taking care of the two bastared girls that you fathered. Mary Kinyanito print this and take it to your lawyer its time you started another legal case( sue me )if you wish.
Ruth this is out of order. I really wish you can come to your senses. If this case in the court, I wouldn’t lower myself to say all these rubbish stuff you are saying. I don’t know your step sister but its true if your mother was really the first wife of Odero Luo elders could have decided long long time ago. LUO KITGI GI TIMBEGI. We wuoyo kamano. your words are very unhelpful. When was your sister Akinyi responsible for your father? I don’t like people who talk rubbish, and by the way check your sentenses and spellings. You are not an angle neither your family. These threats you are making they are neither helping you or your family. I fully agree with what Mr Onyango is telling you, you need to take a break and read all you have written about the husband and your step sister, they are not good. I believe you are not Gor Wuod Ogada or God who can dictate a persons life. YOU ARE WRONG.
THE EXTRAORDINARY LENGTH OF TIME IT HAS TAKEN TO COMPLETE THIS CASE HAS PUSHED MY PATIENCE TO THE LIMIT. THE CASE WAS NEVER ABOUT JALOU KIT GI TIMBEGI BUT RATHER A PROPER BURIAL FOR MY HONOURABLE FATHER. IN DECENT FAMILIES CHILDREN TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR ELDERLY PARENTS IN LIFE AND DEATH. IN DEATH, CHILDREN ALSO WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT THEIR PARENT IS BURIED DECENTLY ACCORDING TO HIS BELIEFS AND WHERE HE HAD REQUESTED TO BE BURIED. AND THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HIS CLOSE FAMILY WANT(HIS NEAREST AND DEAREST)
WE HIS GREIVING DAUGHTERS WANT WHAT IS CORRECT MORALLY AND LEGALLY FOR HIM.
NYASARE SHOULD MIND HER OWN BUSINESS AND DON’T GET INVOLVED IN OTHER PEOPLES FAMILY MATTERS. MR AND MRS KENYANITTO ARE HEARTLESS AND CONTEMPTIBLE!! MAY PAUL ISAAC ODERO’S GHOST HAUNT THEM TILL ETERNITY!!! WHY DEMAND RESPECT FOR THEM WHEN THEY CALLOUSLY DENIED US THE RIGHT TO GRIEVE OUR FATHER IN PEACE.
NYASARE IF I WERE YOU I WOULD REFRAIN FROM MAKING COMMENTS UNLESS YOU HAVE WORN OUR SHOES AND FELT THE PINCH….
Owada, I am no poking my nose into your family affairss, but rather fighting for the respect of other people. I totally share your pain really, but what I request of you is some form of understanding and respect. The case is in the court, but I don’t understand why you are so nasty towards your step sister and husband. They are people and probabably as Luo custom command it, there might have been something hidden which people have not been told. All of you need to sit down as family and determine by uncles, villagers, your father’s age mates and the rest who might know thw first wife. I don’t think things will work out by throwing abuse at each other. By the way you sounded as if you don’t believe in the culture or belong to this tribe which believes that if a polygamist died, he gets buried in his first wife’s home. You need to check with elders if this might have been the case. There is no smoke without fire, and trully we all want decent burials for our dear parents. Probably this is what Your step sister also want. Sorry for porking my nose. I am going to mind my own business now.
I have heard alot of you argue back and forth over an issue that is most easiest to solve.
There are only three questions one should ask him/herself when discussing this matter. 1. Where do we come from. 2. why are we here. 3. where are we going?
Answers. 1. We were all created by God who loves us dearly. He commands us to love our neighbours as ourselves. It doesnt matter where we were born. 2. We are here to serve Jesus Purpose. This begins by salvation. Question; Did Jesus have a descent death? Yet he cried out for forgiveness because he loved us. Alot has been done wrong by both parties concerning this issue. Let us all forgive each other. Its much more fun to love than to hate. Fact; HAving Bitterness is like taking poison and expecting the other person to die. It only affects you. 3. There are only two places where we can all go when we die; Heaven or Hell. It doesnt matter where we are burriied or how. Immediately when you die you either wake up in the beauty of heaven or in the fury of hell depending on whether you acepted JEsus as your savior and lived a holy life or you Denied Jesus and habored hate and bitterness and gossip like i sense most of you have, based on what you have posteD or written. Question, if any of you went to sunday school you would understand that Paul Odero’s body is not Paul Odero. He had left the body when he died and that is why the body is rotting. The bible says the body will return to the dust where it came from. A person is not in the Body, a person is who he is in the inside. You never know, paul odero could be in heaven looking at how you are fightin over dust. All this fighting is useless. We will all face JEsus when we shall have died and moreover Jesus can come back anytime now. The fact is all of you are fighting either of greed or pride. This displeases Jesus. So i suggest all of you, including me to return to JEsus and Repent then begin a new life of Loving God with all thy heart, soul mind and strength and to Love thy neighbour as thy self, EVEN THY ENEMIES AS JESUS COMMANDS. These are the greatest commandments of JEsus.
Now this is the conclusion of the matter. SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE ADDED UNTO YOU. JESUS IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIGHT, THE PRINCE OF PEACE WHEN YOUR HEART CRAVES FOR IT AND THE MIGHTY COMFORTER WHEN YOU ARE HURTING ESPECIALLY AFTER THE DEATH OF A LOVED ONE.
REPENT AND START LIVING HOLY LIVES BECAUSE SOON AND VERY SOON ALL THESE THINGS THAT YOU ARE FIGHTING FOR WILL BE GONE AND YOU WILL COME BEFORE THE FATHER FOR JUDGEMENT ACCORDING TO HOW YOU LIVED. MAY THE HOLY SPIRIT VISIT EVERYONE OF YOU AND REVEAL HIMSELF TO YOU SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE A CHANCE TO LIVE FOREVER IN HAPPINESS OR BURN FOREVER IN HELL.
SHALOM, MAY THE PEACE OF JESUS BE WITH ALL OF YOU
Allow me to make a few comments on this matter, which I feel is extremely sensitive and delicate. The late Mr. Paul Odero was a Luo, a community whose religio-philosophical values remain persistently weighty, even in the face of both modernity and Christianity. Luos believe in certain key philosophical concepts with all their hearts, not merely with their minds. You cannot change a people’s belief system simply by telling them that it is backward or primitive. Cultural practices are expressions of what the people believe, and can only change when the heart is persuaded by a superior religious philosophy, such as Biblical Christianity. For an adult Luo, like the late Mr. Odero, a culturally proper burial would qualify him for veneration as an ancestor, with authority to exercise moral guardianship to the family through rewards and punishment. Both sides in the dispute have this as the common denominator. Modern education, civilisation, economic status, intellectual might, and social status are all appreciated by the Luo, but only as far as they do not remove a person from the community’s philosophy and culture. The only system that has been powerful and effective in combating this ethnic arrogance and cultural dominance is the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ, as explained in the Holy Bible. If today the entire Odero Family were to embrace biblical salvation in Christ, the whole scenario would change positively. The family is in turmoil, turning on each other with anger, because they are trying to deal with the symptoms, rather than the causes, of a truly dangerous illness. My humble appeal to the family is for them to seek Christ for themselves, while He may still be found. As far as I know, the late Mr. Paul Odero was a member of the Africa Inland Church, whose wisdom and guidance in this matter would be highly valuable and useful to the family. I am praying for the family to find peace and joy in the midst of this most trying experience.
If mzee Odero Mbeche’s body is still in the mortuary up to now,
then the kano elders should sit down with Jokoyuoko’s clan inorder to reconcile odero’s family members.A reconciliation
is the only way to sort out the problem because it will allow
the two parties to settle the matter out of court.Otherwise,the
kenya court will be interested with money as usual,now that the
two parties in this case have shown their financial ability of spending.
I appeal to kano elders headed by Adel Kitoto to come out and help odero’s children. We should not be spectators while peace
at odero’s home is being destroyed because of this case.I wonder whether Onyango Midika who used to be odero’s friend
is also helping the situation.I know 1975 general elections,mzee
odero was one of midika’s financier and great campainer .
The AIC church should also come in to bring peace through prayers and involvement of reconciliation among odero’s and
mbeche’s family.In fact mbeche the father of odero was one
of the pioneers of AIC members in kano.The church should stop
being spectators like what others are doing.
Lastly,odero married daughters should show nobility and humility.
People expect odero’s daughters to be civil and respectful to
koyuoko’s clan.Everybody understands the cause of their outburst but they should control themselves.
I don’t know this family, and I can not say I fully understand what they are going through, but one thing I know, and one thing I can tell them, is that peace, real peace, only comes from God. Seek Jesus Christ, be sincere in your prayers, open up to Him, pour out your hearts and allow Him to heal you.
Christ gives peace that passes all human understanding! and that means that when all the situations dictate otherwise,you will be able to smile and say ‘Thank you Jesus’ b’coz even now,He has given you the breath of life and for that we should be thankful. When everything is settled and the dust has settled, you will realised as King Solomon did that all these things are vanity.
May you have a reflective day, and seek the only thing that matters in this life, and that is Jesus Christ!
Well I am a young man who lives in Sweden but i originate from Nyackach,I would only like to comment on Ruths outbust on this situation.
Anger and pain can bring out the bad out of a person. Ruth is surely angered by how the deceased burial was done ,and as like anyone else if this was your father and his burial could end up like this you can never forgive yourself. So Ruth my sister, their is a saying that goes like this.YOU SAY THE BEST WHEN YOU SAY NOTHING AT ALL. So the more you bring out the anger in public the more you hurt yourself. The people reading are just spectators and just laughing at you, waiting what next you will write.
Those evil people their punishment is in Gods hands. dont take it upon yourself-May God keep you and give you the peace in your hurt to even forgive them.God bless you Ruth and seek his Hand.
R.I.P Mr Odero
Take it from a Luo living who is aware that it is 2010… Luos are sick people! What is this mess???? Sick! Sick! Sick people!
Terrible!!!!!
Can anybody give us an update of the main combatant upto now?