Body of police officer buried in St. Joseph Mission of Messiah compound exhumed in Rongo

The body of a GSU police officer who was buried in the compound of St. Joseph Mission of Messiah in Africa in Rongo Sub-County has been exhumed. Dan Ayoo Obura’s remains were exhumed after a court order. The officer was buried in the church compound in March 2025. Rongo Principal Magistrate Chrisphine Orwo directed that Obura be reburied at his ancestral home in Kochieng Village, Nyando Sub-County. The magistrate ordered that the deceased’s wife guide public health officers to the exact burial site within the church compound to avoid random digging during the exhumation. The court also ruled that the deceased’s wife must be involved in the burial rites at his ancestral home in Nyando, Kisumu County. Orwo said the court had relied on customary law, noting that it takes precedence in such matters when it is not repugnant to justice. The officer’s wife, Lilian Atieno, plans to appeal the ruling.