Lamu,KENYA: The bodies of Lamu ODM politician Shekue Kahale’s (commonly known as Mwanati) one year old child and that of his wife have been buried at the Kizingitini cemetery on Monday evening.
This is after the politician and his family was involved in a boat accident on the Indian ocean on Sunday morning.
The politician lost all his four young children,his wife,sister and her three children.
The boat,sea vessel, a small 40HP Yamaga Enduro Powered craft was heading to Manda airport from Kizingitini and was carrying the politician Kahale and ten of his family members and the boat coxswain when it capsized around Manda Bruno on Sunday.
The boat was reported missing at sea shortly after leaving Kizingitini village on Sunday morning having been briefly spotted at the Mtangawanda jetty at around 10 am.
So far seven bodies have been recovered,that of the politician’s wife,child,sister and her three children and that of the captain of the ill fated boat all of which were buried on Monday evening as per the Muslim religion.
Six bodies including that of the wife and child of Kahale and four other relatives were buried at the Kizingitini cemetery while the captain was buried at the Lamu town cemetery.
Meanwhile,a search operation for the remaining four bodies of three of Kahale’s children and his niece has entered its second day.
Kahale who is the lone survivor in the tragedy ,survived after swimming and being washed ashore as he held onto a piece of wood is still recuperating at the Kizingitini hospital and is said to be confused and in deep shock.
Kahale is a former employee of the Mombasa port.
Linda Boni director Joseph Kanyiri said the search will cover a wider area considering most of the recovered bodies were found kilometers away from each other at the Manda Bruno area.
He said the biggest challenge to the search was the rough and heavy tides at the Manda Bruno bay.
“Today’s search will be broader since most of the bodies recovered were very far from each other and so we assume the others have been swept quite far away from the scene of accident,”said Kanyiri.
Meanwhile ,a somber mood engulfed Kizingitini village as five bodies of relatives of politician Kahale were brought in for burial on Monday evening.
Linda Boni director Joseph Kanyiri and Lamu county commissioner Gilbert Kitiyo condoled with the bereaved families.
“We take this early opportunity to condole with the ODM aspirant,Shekue Kahale Mwanati, family and friends for this painful loss of dear ones to him. We join him in grief. May the grace of God the Almighty grant him the fortitude to bear the loss,” said Kanyiri.
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