Russian widow demands cremation of her late Luo husband

By Judy Ogutu                        

A widow who is engaged in a burial dispute with the family of her late husband yesterday broke down in court when she recalled how she cared for him prior to his demise.

Ms Svetlana Radol, who is a Russian, narrated before High Court Judge, Justice Weldon Korir how she took care of her late husband, Dr Joseph William Owino Radol for two years and eight months as he was ailing.

“I took care of him…..Only me. Nobody helped me except my children and their husbands…..nobody,” she said as her voice trailed off.

Svetlana was giving evidence in a case where a man claiming to be the late doctor’s brother is seeking to stop the cremation of the dentist, whose body is lying at the Lee Funeral Home.

Mr John Oleng Omondi is asking the court to declare that cremating his body is contrary to the Luo customary law. Omondi has moved to court together with Mr Charles Opondo Apuko.

Yesterday, the widow maintained in court that it was her husband’s wish to be cremated.

“I want to do his wish. In my tradition (Russian) we must honor the wish of the dying person,” she said.

The late Radol, the court heard, married Svetlana in Russia. They were married for 42 years.
The widow claimed he had also expressed that wish to his daughters, sisters and nieces as well as his son-in-law.

“I have more right to my husband’s remains than impostors who claim to be related to my husband on his death. I believe there is nothing unlawful, wrongful or illegal about cremation of my husband’s remains as per his wishes,” the widow said.

She further said that as a family they have used a lot of resources in treating her husband, who succumbed to injuries following a road accident in 2009.

Svetlana claims the two petitioners are not a brother and nephew to the deceased as they have alleged, and are not known to the family members.

On the other hand, Omondi who gave evidence earlier in court said he had been sent by the Seje clan to file the suit.

The 56 year-old man informed Justice Korir that he was an elder and the clan, which has about 300 people, had sent him to court.

However, while being cross-examined by the defence lawyer, it emerged that there was no document filed in court to show he had been sent by the clan.

Opondo, who is also a petitioner in the burial case, told the judge that he had seen an advertisement in a newspaper which indicated that the doctor’s remains would be cremated.

“Our family is against cremation. We went to bury him, according to our traditions, we bury bodies,” Opondo said.