Dr Stephen Ochiel.
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga was not the only one rewriting the playbook on Luo funerals through his burial on Sunday.
As the nation was marking Mashujaa Day, just hours after Mr Odinga’s remains were interred, a renowned son of Nyanza was being cremated at the Hindu Cemetery in Nairobi.
Dr Stephen Ochiel, a former president of the Kenya Medical Association (KMA) and who spearheaded the construction of the seven-storey KMA Centre in Nairobi’s Upper Hill, had wished for a quick exit — and his family honoured it.
He died on Sunday, and on the next day, a quick prayer service was held at Lee Funeral Home before his remains were cremated.
A crematorium.
Dr Simon Kigondu, the current KMA president, attended the Monday events.
“It is the family which organised all that,” said Dr Kigondu. “We had to quickly organise a quick church service at Lee Funeral the next day [after his death], and then within a few hours, the cremation was done.”
A family member told Nation that a bigger memorial for Dr Ochiel is being organised for Friday, and Dr Kigondu said the venue will be the St Francis Anglican Church in Karen, Nairobi. An Anglican pastor, Dr Kigondu said, conducted the short ceremony at Lee Funeral Home on Monday.
A Facebook post about his speedy final rites drew varied comments. While some felt it is improper to truncate the Luo customs that require a “proper” send-off for an elder – Dr Ochiel died at 76 – others said this is the way to go.
Luo burial customs
When Mr Odinga addressed the matter in May, he opined that the Luo burial customs force families to overspend.
“Funerals have become an industry, and it is impoverishing our people. Every day, every week, people are involved in endless planning of expensive funerals. Our Muslim brothers send off their loved ones hours after death. In our case, it takes even a month before one is buried. We must change this,” he said, just five months before his demise.
Dr Kigondu remarked light-heartedly: “It looks like these elders are helping us a lot.”
“They are changing the customs. He [Dr Ochiel] asked to be cremated very fast,” he added.
Former Kibra MP Ken Okoth is among the prominent personalities from the Luo community whose remains were cremated. Mr Odinga and former Chief of Defence Forces Francis Ogolla did not choose cremation but wished for quick burials — wishes that their families granted. Both Mr Odinga and General Ogolla had specified a 72-hour timeframe.
Dr Stephen Ochiel.
Dr Ochiel, a renowned gynaecologist, is one of Kenya’s first locally trained doctors.
“He was among the pioneering graduates of the University of Nairobi [UoN], earning his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree in 1975. His undergraduate classmates include Dr [James] Kirima, a prominent Mombasa gynaecologist, and the Gikonyos of Karen Hospital. He later specialised as an obstetrician and gynaecologist in 1981,” Dr Kigondu said in a statement.
In his interview with Nation, Dr Kigondu explained how the fallen Dr Ochiel birthed the KMA Centre.
“In the year 2001, the national governing council of KMA met in Lion Hill, Sarova, and it resolved that KMA build something which doctors could buy as shares and which would help KMA become self-sufficient. The role of KMA is the welfare of its members and advocating for the highest quality of healthcare,” he said.
“As a result of that, a decision was made to construct a building because they already had some land at Upper Hill, where KMA Centre is now, that they had bought from the government,” he added.
A plot development committee was formed, and from 2007 to 2010, the centre was constructed.
“In 2012, President Mwai Kibaki was called to open it, and in his opening remarks, he congratulated the association because at that time Kibaki was looking at boosting the economy,” said Dr Kigondu, adding that between 2008 and 2014, Dr Ochiel was the chairman of the company charged with building the KMA Centre.
“It was constructed, and indeed, that's where KMA headquarters is. And that's why many other businesses are,” he said.
In various social media posts, Dr Ochiel’s wisdom and nurturing spirit as a lecturer and as a doctor have been celebrated by many.
A 2023 profile of him by the Auditor-General said in part: “Dr Ochiel holds a Master's of Medicine degree in obstetrics and gynaecology from UoN and a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the same institution. He is an accomplished doctor, lecturer, and has sat in several boards over the years, notably the Nairobi Health Management Board, Tobacco Control Board, among others.”
“His experience in the field spans over three decades, and he has presented both published and unpublished academia. He is a recipient of many awards over the years from various institutions and was conferred the Moran of the Order of Burning Spear [MBS] by the President in recognition of his outstanding and distinguished services,” it added.
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