Govt Issues Update On Repatriating Kenyan Teacher Killed In Tanzania
Ogutu’s family has repeatedly appealed for government action so their relative can be brought home for a dignified burial.
Marvin Chege 
The government has moved to explain why the repatriation of the body of John Okoth Ogutu, a Kenyan teacher reportedly killed in Tanzania, has been delayed.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei said he recently met Ogutu’s relatives to offer condolences and reaffirm the state’s commitment to bringing his remains home.
"Met the family of the late John Okoth Ogutu, a school teacher in Tanzania, who lost his life during the post-electoral disturbances in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania," Sing'Oei said.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing'oei. /FILE
He added, "Assured them of the government’s commitment to finding and repatriating the remains of our late national."
In a statement issued Saturday, November 21, Sing’Oei noted that President William Ruto’s administration would use every diplomatic and procedural avenue with Tanzanian authorities to return the body.
The PS issued the clarification after reports suggested the delay was caused by the slow swearing-in of Tanzanian officials. Some Kenyans had already questioned the silence from Nairobi despite Tanzania naming a new cabinet.
Ogutu’s family has repeatedly appealed for government action so their relative can be brought home for a dignified burial.
Though the details of his killing remain murky, they insist on justice, saying he was a key pillar of the family.
They earlier said his body was taken to the Mwanyamala mortuary, but when colleagues went to confirm, it was missing.
Ogutu was among the many people killed in Tanzania’s post-election unrest, with the opposition urging the United Nations (UN) to investigate what they called a massacre under President Samia Suluhu’s government.
The UN Human Rights Commission has also demanded swift and comprehensive investigations into the killings that occurred during the polls.
Opposition party CHADEMA had previously claimed the death toll could be as high as 500, saying the chaos erupted on October 29 as the nation went to the polls.
