Kenyan family decries delays in repatriating body of teacher killed in Tanzania
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Three weeks after Kenyan teacher John Okoth Ogutu was fatally shot during protests in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, his family says they are still unable to trace his remains — a delay they describe as agonizing and unbearable. Okoth, who was in Tanzania at the time of the unrest, died on October 29.
Since then, his family has made repeated attempts to work with Tanzanian authorities and diplomatic channels to locate his body and have it repatriated for burial in Kenya.
According to the family, the process has been marred by what they call confusion, empty assurances, and bureaucratic hurdles.
“It is very frustrating when we see both governments taking us round,” said Bernard Miranyi, a family representative. “We’ve been to the Embassy of Tanzania several times and the answers we get from there ni majibu ambayo yanavunja moyo sana"
Family members say the prolonged wait has taken a heavy emotional toll on Okoth’s elderly mother, who remains hopeful but deeply distressed as days go by without closure.
They have appealed to Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to step in more decisively and help expedite the release and transportation of the remains. Several human rights organizations have also weighed in, sharply criticizing Tanzanian authorities over the handling of the incident.
Some have called for the resignation of Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu, accusing her government of human rights violations during the protests, and urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate.
These remain allegations made by the organizations; Tanzanian officials have not publicly responded, and no independent investigations have yet substantiated the claims. For now, Okoth’s family says their primary plea is simple: to bring their son home.
Despite numerous visits to diplomatic offices in Nairobi, they say they have received no concrete information on the status of the body or a timeline for repatriation.
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