Family's agony over daughter's death in Sweden

Scolastica Adhiambo during the interview at Ondiek Estate in Kisumu. (Photo: Titus Munala/Standard)

Kisumu, Kenya: A family in Kisumu is mourning after their daughter died in Sweden mysteriously.

Jacktone Obong'o and his wife Scolastica Adhiambo say their daughter Vincencis Atieno died in Sweden last month and they learnt about her death through her sister, Diana, who lives in Germany.

Diana is said to have travelled to Sweden where authorities confirmed the death and told her that the body had been kept in a mortuary to await her relatives.

The ailing Adhiambo says Diana stopped communicating after sometime and they are now in the dark about what may have happened to Atieno's body.

According to Adhiambo, Atieno had travelled to the country with her Swedish boyfriend, a Mr Henry Lilja, whom she had met in Kenya.

Couple separated

The couple are said to have lived as husband and wife for five years and even had a child before separating.

However, Adhiambo disputes that the two were married.

"The man never came to my home and had never officially introduced himself to the family. He did not pay dowry so I cannot say they were married," said Adhiambo.

After parting ways with her initial boyfriend, Atieno is said to have moved in with another man, who later abandoned her with an 11-month-old child.

Adhiambo says she last spoke to her daughter on May 23, when she promised to send her some money. She, however, did not keep the promise.

"I kept sending messages to her inquiring about the promise, but she never responded," she said.

According to her, no clear information has been forthcoming about her daughter's death as there has not been any communication between the relatives and friends in Sweden and the family.

"All their phones have since been witched off. Her Kenyan friends who promised us a ticket and visa to enable us to travel to Sweden have also gone quiet," she said.

According to her, none of Atieno's two boyfriends has agreed to bury her remains, although they are said to have assumed custody of the children. The family is now appealing to the Government to help them trace the whereabouts of their daughter's body.