There was drama at a funeral meeting for slain student Sharon Otieno on Sunday when her uncle was forcefully ejected after suggesting that she should be buried at her ex-husband’s home.
Joshua Okong’o had to be whisked away from irate mourners who heckled him for opening a can of worms about Sharon Otieno’s marital status.
Last Friday, Okong’o addressed journalists as the family spokesman, saying Sharon was married before separating from her husband earlier this year.
“I want everybody to know that Sharon was married and she separated with her husband in January… I know her because she stayed with me most of the time during her childhood,” said Okong’o.
The crowd booed him but he insisted with his speech, saying: “The husband has never appeared in this home. We need him because Sharon will not be buried here due to our cultural beliefs.”
His remarks angered Sharon’s father Douglas Otieno, who snatched the microphone from Okong’o.
Kanyabala Chief Simeon Onano and some family members rushed to the dais to intervene. They escorted Okong’o to his car, with mourners hurling insults at him as he entered his car and eventually left the compound.
The meeting in Magare village, Homa Bay was attended by four woman representatives: Gladys Wanga (Homa Bay), Pamela Odhiambo (Migori), Rosa Buyu (Kisumu) and Janet Ongera (Kisii).
