Narok man presumed dead returns home

Paul Kerich with his wife Philomena after he arrived home in Narok on Tuesday, three years after disappearing.

On December 27 last year, the decomposing body of a man was discovered floating in Ewaso Nyiro River.

Simon Kerich then incorrectly identified the corpse as being that of his brother; Paul Kerich, who had disappeared from home three years before. The family thus obtained a death certificate and a burial permit for the brother they presumed dead.

According to Simon, Paul left home in search of a job in Ewaso Nyiro, after which he stopped communicating with his family members.

After days of searching for Paul, 46, unsuccessfully, his family gave up and believed he was among those swept away by floods into Ewaso Nyiro River. “Police officers had called on residents whose kin were missing to come and identify the body of a man that was lying at Narok District Hospital Mortuary, after which we made a positive identification of the body,” said Simon.

Casual labourer

But unknown to the family, Paul was alive. He was working as a casual labourer on a construction site and the body they had just buried was wrongly identified as his.

On Tuesday, the family members in Narok were in disbelief after the man they had presumed dead and buried walked into the homestead, four days after his ‘burial’.

The village was thrown into confusion when Paul strolled into the homestead that was still grieving his ‘death’. Some of the relatives and villagers who were still hanging around to condole with the family after the ‘burial’ took to their heels, thinking they had seen a ghost.

“I could not believe my eyes when I saw him. I had cried and mourned that he was dead. I am lost for words as we have buried the wrong person,” said Paul’s wife Philomena.

When he disappeared from home three years ago, Paul left behind four children.

Philomena, who appeared disturbed with the unfolding events, said she and the children had given up hope of ever seeing him alive.

“We had adjusted to life without him. The children buried their father. They knew he had gone to be with the Lord. I knew I was a widow and my children fatherless,” she said as she stared at her husband.

 Cleansing Exercise

Paul, who also looked disturbed, cut his wife short: “I know it is shocking to them. I have been away from home for over three years.”

Speaking after his extraordinary re-appearance, he said: “ I started work in Ewaso Nyiro before moving to Ndonyo Rasha, where I met a man who knew me. We met by coincidence and he was shocked to see me alive,” Paul said, adding that he learned of his ‘death’ through the man.

Concerned, he embarked on a journey back to Ewaso Nyiro - his former work place - where he received a cold reception from people who also thought he was dead.

It was here that he decided to return home and confront the reality of being alive after people had declared him dead. But before he could meet and mingle with anyone at home, a traditional cleansing had to be conducted by Kipsigis elders .

The family has now begun the long process of swearing affidavits in court to confirm that their kin is still alive.

They also need authority to exhume the body they had buried in their home.

Area OCPD Philip Kipkirui said the first step is the exhumation of the body, which will be carried out after a court authorises it.