The family of Hezekiah Ondego (deceased) at their ancestral home in Mbale, Vihiga county, where the county government has blocked his burial. His body has been lying at a Vihiga mortuary for the last five years /HILTON OTENYO

Human rights defenders have urged President William Ruto to intervene and ensure a family in Vihiga county receives Sh2 million donated for a burial.

Hezekiah Ondego’s body has been lying in at a Vihiga mortuary for the past five years.

The funds were donated by the President last year after African Divine Church Archbishop John Chabuga made an appeal during the church’s annual conference in November.

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The money was handed to Western regional coordinator Irungu Macharia, who has since been holding it.

In a letter dated January 26, David Khaemba of Justice and Equality Human Rights Defenders said the family had faced delays and difficulties accessing the funds, causing emotional distress.

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“The family’s primary wish is to bury their relative on their ancestral land with dignity,” he wrote.

He said the donation was meant only to facilitate the burial and possibly support a shelter at the site, not to compensate for any land dispute.

The defenders asked the President to guide neutral handling of the funds, including depositing the money in a family bank account under trusteeship, the Office of the Ombudsman, or a church account, pending resolution.

The regional coordinator has advised the family to identify and buy suitable burial land within 60 days, with support from legal counsel and the county administration.

He said the donation was not linked to any land compensation claim.

The family’s challenges date back to 2017 when it agreed to surrender land near St Clare Secondary School in exchange for an alternative plot in Lugari.

When they tried to occupy the Lugari land, they found it already in use and returned to their ancestral land in Mbale.

After Ondego’s death in 2020, the county government sought court orders on burial arrangements, citing the earlier land allocation. 

Ministry of Lands records show the Lugari plot is occupied by an individual without formal allotment documents.