News

Dark cloud hangs over Ruth Matete late hubby’s burial

Friday, May 8th, 2020 00:00 | By
Kenyan gospel singer Ruth Matete and husband.

The family of Kenyan gospel singer Ruth Matete is accusing the Nigerian Embassy in Kenya of frustrating them from burying the body of Ruth’s late husband John Apewajoye.

Family lawyer Robert Odanga says the embassy has made the situation “extremely” difficult for the family, especially with the ballooning financial burden the family has been made to shoulder.

“Even after conducting the autopsy with four independent pathologists present, the embassy has curtailed our effort to remove John’s body for burial.

The family in Nigeria have even written to them (embassy), requesting the body to be released, but they have refused to release it,” he told Spice yesterday.

He says hospital and morgue bills have been a huge burden for the family, a situation that has made the family conduct fundraisers to foot the bulging bills. 

In letters seen by us, John’s family in Nigeria had consented on the postmortem findings that the deceased demise was an accident.

They also allowed Ruth to burry her late husband in Kenya. “With regards to the death of our son, John Apewajoye, we request that the corpse should be buried by his Kenyan wife without further delay for his soul to be at peace.

All autopsy results duly accepted,” the family wrote to the Nigerian Embassy in Kenya on April 29.

Earlier, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) had instructed the Kenyatta National Hospital not to release the body for burial.

“We have received communication from the Nigerian High Commission requesting that the body should not be released until consent is granted by the Nigerian Government,” read the DCI communication. 

“There’s nothing practical you can do with a body after an autopsy other than burying it. The family is incurring unnecessary expenses,” said Odanga.

More on News


ADVERTISEMENT