When Kenyans venture abrad, it's often with the hope of a better life in future. This is often the case, but sometimes, the worst happens.
In a twist of fate, the cruel hand of death finds them in a foreign land and their families and friends are left to pick the pieces. Bringing bodies home is often an expensive affair and the cost often runs into millions of shillings, as is the case with the three Kenyans who died in a fire in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
But why is it so expensive? And what does it take to repatriate the body of a loved one from the UAE or any other country for burial?
Joseph Karanja vanished in January 2008 after leaving home to collect a vehicle.
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According to Dubai-based Coppola Funeral Services, repatriation of human remains is a complex process that involves multiple steps and complete compliance with local and international regulations. It requires at least seven documents before the body can be brought back home.
These documents vary depending on the destination country. Generally, a family member or friend of the person who has died will need the late's passport and the original death certificate, which is often required in both English and the local language.
A No Objection Certificate from the embassy or consulate and an embalming certificate, if applicable, will also be needed.
Confirmation of booking with an airline for transportation of the body, a letter from the dead person's sponsor or next of kin detailing their wishes on repatriation or local burial/cremation and lastly, additional documents may include a police report and a forensic report with legal translation.
The average cost of repatriating a body from Dubai to Kenya can be up to $9,500 (about Sh1.2 million) and the process can take up to two weeks if the person dies outside a hospital.
“You need to get a forensic report if someone dies outside a hospital in Dubai,” says Vivian Albertyn, whose company Middle East Assistance provides funeral services in Dubai.
“Depending on the cause of death, you might need an autopsy and even a toxicology report. Once you get the forensics report, you have to take it to the police, who issue another certificate. It doesn't matter if you die of cancer or in a car accident, you need to have this.”
She adds: “The cause of death in the forensics report is only in Arabic, which means that in some cases, you have to get it legally translated depending on which country you are returning the body to.
“Once you get the forensics report, you have to take it to the Ministry of Health, which issues a death certificate.”
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International Air Transport Association rules are specific on what is required before a body can be flown in a plane. The body must be contained in a hermetically sealed lead or zinc inner coffin placed inside a wooden one.
Emirates says it will cost $10 (about Sh1,300) per kilogramme, with additional handling charge from the Dubai National Air Travel Agency (DNATA) amounting to $272 (about Sh35,200) per shipment.
The costs don't end there, as it's common for family members to then have to fly to Dubai to take care of any outstanding business matters of the deceased.
