Just like the biblical Job of the Old Testament, whose faith was put to the test, 72-year-old Joseph Oduogo is confident that he will not be led to evil as he ponders two calamities that have befallen his family in a span of three months.
This is after his two sons were separately mauled by crocodiles as they navigated the vast Lake Victoria to fend for their young families.
Family members wait for the retrieval of the body of a man who was mauled by a crocodile at the Dunga Beach in Lake Victoria.
Photo credit: Tonny Omondi | Nation Media Group
While his son Nicholas Oduogo was lucky to survive an attack in February, coming out of it with his limbs badly mutilated, his other son was recently killed, becoming part of the growing statistics. His body has not been found.
“This is a difficult moment in my life. I am under a lot of pressure from some people who tell me to seek the intervention of witchdoctors to undo a curse in my family. But this (calamity) will only bring me closer to God who guides my steps as I approach my sunset years,” said the frail father of 12.
In line with Luo traditions, Mr Oduogo’s extended family has been camping at Dunga beach since last Friday as they hope that the body of his son will be found.
With every unsuccessful trip by rescue boats to the shoreline of one of Kisumu’s most frequented beaches, their hopes of getting the remains of 32-year-old Gabriel Okoth Oduogo are dampened.
As news of the unfortunate event continues to spread in the lakeside city, curious crowds, mostly from the nearby Nyalenda slums where Okoth lived, flock Dunga beach.
Kenya Wildlife Services officers join locals in searching for the body of a man who was mauled by a crocodile at Dunga Beach.
Photo credit: Tonny Omondi | Nation Media Group
Okoth’s wife, Ms Jocelyn Ayiero, has been left with three children to take care of.
“My children are unaware of what has happened and keep asking me where their father has gone, but I don’t know what to tell them,” said the visibly shaken Ms Ayiero.
She expressed hope that the retrieval of her husband’s body will help her get closure and she can move on without the man who has been supporting her since August 16, 2012, when they met.
Some family members of the victim who was mauled by a crocodile at Dunga Beach.
Photo credit: Tonny Omondi | Nation Media Group
On the fateful day, she said, her husband woke up at 6am as usual and promised that he would be back by 4pm.
“I was, however, shocked when I was called by my brother-in-law to rush to the beach at around midday only to find a multitude of people and get the worst news of my life,” she added.
As the search continues, she has to contend with the biting cold and mosquitoes at night.
Dunga Beach Management Unit (BMU) members, who have called for support from government agencies, are leading the search.
Searching mission continues.
Photo credit: Tonny Omondi | Nation Media Group
“We need better vessels to navigate the turbulent and murky waters, which make the search slow and difficult,” said BMU chairman Joel Otieno.
The search is supported by local fishermen who have contributed funds to fuel motorboats and buy food and other incidentals for the volunteers.
Okoth’s mother, Mrs Mary Asembo, has yet to come to terms with the news that saw her admitted to a Kisumu hospital on Friday.
Due to her high blood pressure, family members had kept the news from her as they devised how to break it to her without prompting another tragedy.
The attack that killed her son happened a couple of months after her older son Nicholas survived an attack just 500 metres from the Friday scene.
Two brothers were separately mauled by crocodiles as they navigated the vast Lake Victoria to fend for their young families.
Photo credit: Tonny Omondi | Nation Media Group
Nicholas has registered remarkable improvement since being admitted to the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital in February.
“When this happened, we were sourcing for blood from friends and relatives as doctors planned to remove the metal plates on his legs,” Mrs Asembo said.
The Oduogos are, however, appealing to both the national and county governments to assist them in paying the huge medical bill.
“We are yet to receive any help from the Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) as our resources are getting constrained day by day,” said Mr Oduogo.
KWS senior warden in charge of Kisumu Christine Boit could, however, not be reached for comment as her phone was switched off.
As source familiar with the process, however, indicated that the payouts for victims of human-wildlife conflict follows elaborate procedure before any case is decided, taking up to three years.
