David Saina and his wife Hellen Saina at their home at Kapserton Village, Kipkaren Salient, Nandi County, on March 19, 2025. Their son Eugene Kipkoech died in Finland while daughter Sheila Jeptum died in Australia.
The pain of grief and anguish is intense at Kapserton village in Kipkaren Salient, Nandi County where the family of David Saina is struggling to come to terms with the death of their two children abroad in one year.
Their 21-year-old daughter Sheila Jeptum Saina died in Australia in February 2024 in a road accident, and exactly a year later, they lost their son Eugene Kipkoech Saina, 28, who drowned in a river in Finland.
To David Saina and his wife Hellen Sawe, this double tragedy can only be unravelled by God.
David Saina, accompanied by his wife Hellen Saina, at their home in Kapserton village in Kipkaren Salient, Nandi County on March 19, 2025, displays a phone with a photo of their son, the late Eugene Kipkoech, who died in Finland on March 9 this year, and a banner with a photo of their daughter, the late Sheila Jeptum Saina, who died in an accident in Australia on February 07, 2024. The family is planning to airlift Kipkoech's body to Kenya next week and need Sh2.5 million to do so.
The double tragedy of a family
Nation.Africa visited the family on Wednesday, March 19, and the weight of the tragedy on the family was palpable.
As it was last year, friends, relatives, and neighbours are once again gathered at their home to grieve with the family that is trying to raise Sh4 million to bring home their son’s body for burial.
Until his demise early this month, Eugene had worked in Componenta Finland for Oy Hogfors Company as an engineer.
A grave on March 19, 2025, where Sheila Jeptum Saina was buried at her parents' home in Kapserton village, Kipkaren Salient, Nandi County, after she died in an accident in Australia on February 07, 2024.
Sheila and Eugene left Kenya in October 2023-Eugene for Finland to work and Sheila for Australia for further studies.
As Sheila took her flight for New South in Australia, Eugene proceeded to Finland leaving their family in a celebratory mood, their parents counting double blessings.
Like any other couple with big hopes for a brighter future for their children, David and Hellen sold their one-acre piece of land to facilitate their travel.
Little did they know their anticipated double blessings would turn into a double tragedy and both their children would return home in coffins within 16 months of their departure from Kenya.
On Saturday, March 8, 2025, the family received the devastating news about Eugene’s tragic death from one of his friends.
The caller informed the couple that their son’s body had been found floating in a river in Karkkila City in Finland.
A grave on March 19, 2025, where Sheila Jeptum Saina was buried at her parent’s home in Kapserton village, Kipkaren Salient of Nandi County after she died in an accident in Australia on February 07, 2024.
The Journey of Sheila and Eugene
Mr Saina, a father of four, remembers the last time he attempted to communicate with his son was the previous day, a Friday at 9am when his phone went unanswered.
This was unusual for Eugene, whom the family has described as a good communicator who always kept in touch daily.
The family says since then, it has not received a consistent report about how their son died.
According to Mr Saina, the information they have from Finland relating to the autopsy is not conclusive as it did not reveal the cause of death.
Instead, they have been told to be patient for two months, pending a full postmortem report.
“As per the postmortem report received by a friend whom we have entrusted to represent us in Finland, the cause of his death is yet to be disclosed to us and we have been told to wait for two months for the postmortem report,” said Mr Saina.
“The death of my son is traumatizing, and I have no words to describe the level of pain we are passing through. As a family, we cannot comprehend what happened,” the grieving father said.
A phone with a photograph of their son the late Eugene Kipkoech who died in Finland on March 9.
Before relocating to Finland, Eugene was an Automotive Engineering graduate from the Rift Valley Technical and Training Institute (RVTTI).
Coincidentally, he got a visa alongside his late sister Sheila in October 2023, courtesy of the county government of Uasin Gishu to study overseas and secure green pastures.
Eugene, a basketball player and a former student at Cheptil Boys High School in Nandi County, has been described by his friends as a jovial and caring man who extended his love to the larger community at his rural home in Nandi.
Seeking answers and closure
The tragedy has not only shattered the family’s hopes and dreams but the entire community.
For the short period that he was in Finland, he had already helped some young people from the area to secure job opportunities abroad, his mother said.
“Eugene was a big asset, not only to my family but also to this community,” said Ms Saina.
Hellen Saina, at their home in Kapserton Village in Kipkaren Salient, Nandi County on March 19, 2025.
Ms Sawe, an avid member of the Anglican Church, believes that what has happened in her family can only be answered by God.
She comforts herself in the Biblical verse 1 John 3:20 which says “In whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things,” and Psalm 139:4 says; “Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Lord, you know it all."
“My son was a focused man. He had plans about what he wanted to do for the next five years and all those plans have been shattered by his sudden demise,” she said, fighting, unable to hold her tears.
Eugene’s elder brother Evans Bett said it is painful for the family to receive another casket in one year. He said the family had high hopes for both Eugene and Sheila.
“The two young souls meant everything to us. Eugene had great plans for the family and in a short period he had already bought some parcels of land for the family,” he said.
However, Mr Bett said establishing the cause of his brother’s death will add no value to the family’s anguish.
“Whether my brother was killed or not, it will not bring him back to life. Our main appeal is to be supported to bring his body home for a decent burial,” he said.
The budget to bring the body home and the funeral expenses is Sh4m, and the family is appealing to well-wishers to help them offset the bill so that they can give their son a decent send-off.
“We are appealing to well-wishers locally and internationally to support us meet funeral expenses amounting to more than Sh4m,” Mr Saina appealed.
The family is expecting to receive the body in Nairobi on Tuesday, March 25, before being flown to Eldoret through Eldoret International Airport. On arrival, the body will be preserved at Eldoret Hospital morgue until next Friday when it will be moved to their rural home Nandi County for burial.
Describing her son as a God-fearing and church lover, Ms Saina has encouraged the community not to be overwhelmed with grief for the departed children. She has refused to entertain thoughts of associating her children’s demise with witchcraft and sorcery.
“What has happened, we take it positively and move on without entertaining myths of witchcraft and sorcery. My son was a God-fearing young man. We accept it the way it has happened and leave the rest to God,” she said.
tominde@ke.nationmedia.com
