Family of GSU officer seeks help after 'wrong body' exhumed from controversial church

A signpost showing the controversial St Joseph Missions of Messiah in Africa church in Kamagambo. [Anne Atieno, Standard]

The family of the late GSU officer Dan Ayoo, whose body was buried within a controversial church’s compound, is now seeking help after a ‘wrong body’ was exhumed from the church.

According to the GSU officer’s family, it was confirmed to them that the body that was exhumed did not belong to their son.

“We had high hopes that our son’s body would be exhumed and that we would go and bury him. But we have been disappointed to learn that the exhumed body belonged to an unidentified woman,” Pamela Obura, who is the GSU officer’s mother, said.

Migori security team and the public health on January 16, 2025 moved to exhume the body of the late General Service Unit (GSU) officer from the compound of St. Joseph Mission of Messiah in Africa Church following a court order.

The team, which included police, DCI and Migori public health officers, supervised the exhumation of the remains of the GSU officer whose body was buried at the church for six hours.

According to police reports, the remains suspected to be that of the late police officer was exhumed and taken to Migori County Referral Hospital morgue for preservation pending postmortem.

“The scene was processed, and necessary action taken. The exhumation exercise began at 0730 hrs and ended at 1300 hrs without any ugly incident,” the police report read in part.

The GSU officer’s mother expressed her disappointment, saying that despite their setback, her husband ended up being arrested.

 She questioned why her husband was being arrested at a time when they had gone to have their son’s body exhumed.

The mother pleaded with the government to intervene.

Furthermore, the family questioned why those who were directed by the court to help identify the GSU officer’s body did not avail themselves during the exhumation 

John Ogutu, who is the GSU officer’s brother-in-law claimed that their kin’s wife was absent despite accepting before the court that she could help identify his gravesite.

“Our kin’s son and the chief, who were also key in identifying his gravesite also gave the exercise a wide berth. Three gravesites were dug, and there was nothing. A body was found in a fourth gravesite, which turned out to be a female,” Ogutu said.

The family registered its disappointment that they would not return home with their kin’s body, and at the same time, they were having Ayoo’s father locked in a cell at Rongo Police Station. 

Ayoo died on March 27, 2025 and was buried at the church the following day without the knowledge of his parents.

The parents who had suspected foul play are said to have reported the matter to police, after which together with police officers, they moved to court seeking to exhume the body for investigation.