Homa Bay: Emotional Moment as Mother Salutes KDF Son During Speech at Burial
- A woman in Kagan, Homa Bay county, moved mourners to tears when she saluted while making a speech at the burial of her son, Eric Odhiambo Otieno
- Otieno was a KDF soldier who died at the hands of Alshabaab, and his mother made a heartfelt speech at his funeral while giving the reason why she saluted
- While at it, the middle-aged woman also bitterly complained about how life had treated her, as compared to the good life other people were living
- The grieving mum also shared the last moments she had with her son, the grand plans they had before his sudden death, leaving her without a leg to stand on
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Homa Bay: The grieving mum of a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officer, Eric Odhiambo Otieno, moved many Kenyans after she saluted during her speech at his burial.
Source: Facebook
According to a relative identified as Kopiypo Calvince on his Facebook page, Otieno died at the hands of Alshabaab.
The middle-aged woman was making a heartfelt speech at the burial when she explained why she needed to salute her son.
"My only son, go with God, may He lead you; my story will be told and it will be said that I gave birth to one child," she said.
"He told me to salute for him and that is what I have been doing, God bless all of you," she said while saluting him several times.
What were Otieno's mum's questions to God?
During the speech, the bereaved woman had several questions for God, and she asked them through the priest who presided over the funeral.
The woman wanted to know why things had never been better for her, like for some people whose lives started at the bottom of the barrel and then became better later on.
"After things become better for them, they live long and see even their grandchildren. I started suffering a long time ago so why I'm I suffering up to now?" she questioned.
"Some people die after seeing their great-grandchildren and great, great-grandchildren. God told me that he has good plans for me, and since I started living, I have not seen the good plans he had for me," she lamented.
Source: Facebook
What did Otieno last tell his mum?
Otieno's mum also recalled the last time she spoke with her son, who was in Nanyuki, and he told her that he would bring his friends home and she should cook chicken for the guests.
"I am being told to be strong, but where will that hope come from, I dont't have anything, he didn't leave me any house and I don't know what to do," she said.
A man identified as @di-fre, who knew the departed personally, also had a glowing tribute for him. He said:
"Waaah Eriko (Otieno) was a simple man of few words 😭😭😭 rest easy British man," he said.
How did Kenyans react to the story?
kisinga Di maria memphis:
"Mama Erick pole Sana Sisi kama engineers ilituuma Zaidi kupoteza new soldier."
Freeman:
"Rest easy buddy......only the mother inflicts the pain of bearing a child !! 😭💔."
scolamoraa4:
"Momma hugs may our lord comfort us haki wenye tumepoteza our sons in the forces at a very tender age😭😭."
Pam:
"Hope aliacha bibi na watoto mama awe akiwaangalia."
Man mourns KDF soldier
On his Facebook, Calvince mourned the KDF officer and said the entire family was struggling to come to terms with his death.
"It's indeed a very sad moment today as the late Erick Odhiambo Otieno, son of the late Mr Otieno Olum of Kadeka Village, Kanyarwanda Sub-location, Kagan East Location, Kagan Ward, is laid to rest," he wrote.
He said the young officer's story tells of a young boy who was orphaned at the age of four months, and survived against all odds to finally get absorbed by the KDF, only to die at the hands of the Al Shabab one year after his passout parade.
Man revs power saw at colleague's burial
In another story, Goodwin Jirongo touched many hearts when he chose a unique way of mourning his colleague, using a power saw.
Jirongo and his departed colleague both worked as tree fellers, and he knew the best way to honour him as he was buried six feet under.
Tongues wagged in Kenya after social media users watched the honourable and loving tribute Jirongo gave to his dear friend.
Racheal Nyaguthie, HoD Human Interest, added the section on man mourning KDF soldier.
Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
