The late General Francis Ogolla will be buried without a casket in respecting his wishes, his elder brother Canon Hezekiah Oduor has said.
Oduor said the burial will be very simple and in keeping with the late General’s wishes to be interred within 72 hours of his death.
He further shared that his brother had even shown him the exact spot for his grave; near his house at Mor village, Siaya County.
Oduor said the burial will be on Sunday, April 21.
The late General Ogolla envisioned a simple ritual burial akin to Muslim practices, wishes the family said he documented in his Will.
According to Ogolla’s instructions, his body should be wrapped in sheets, a decision made to alleviate what he described as unnecessary pressure on the family.
But despite the simplicity of the burial, family revealed that other Luo rituals will be observed.
Oduor extended an invitation to those who wish to mourn with them to join either in spirit or physically, assuring that there will be enough food for all visitors.
The late General’s sister, Peris Onyango, spoke to the Star and mentioned that her brother was very prepared for death.
She said anytime he visited, he would describe to her how his burial should look like, despite her attempts to dissuade him from such thoughts.
Onyango added that her brother consistently insisted that death is a reality, especially for soldiers like him who stare death in the face in the line of duty.
“The sudden death has thrown the entire community into a state of disarray as Ogolla was a philanthropist,” Onyango said.
She described her late brother as very generous and someone who listened to the problems affecting villagers.
“He helped the church and ensured its completion, provided a water borehole, and rewarded the schools he attended.
“That’s why when the news of his death broke yesterday, people came in numbers to mourn him because he had no boundaries,” she said.
However, the family insisted that the 100th birthday celebrations of their father Mzee Joel Oyeyo, will proceed as planned on Saturday.
The family had planned to celebrate the centinerian’s birthday on Saturday with the consecration being held at St Thomas Nduru Anglican Church on Sunday.
General Ogolla was supposed to travel to the village to assist with preparations for both events this Friday, family revealed.
