The remains of Tom Okwach, a miner whose body remained trapped in the collapsed Abimbo mines for seven months, have finally been interred in Abimbo Village in Bondo, Siaya County.
Family relatives remembered him as a conscientious young guy who cared about his extended family, but he died at a young age.
Okwach, a 29-year-old gold miner, left behind a wife and two sons.
His brother, Steve Aliwa, has criticized the community’s failure to recover Okwach’s mines and has even questioned the entire procedure. He is grateful, though, that Okwach’s remains have been placed at his home.Â
On December 2, 2021, the Abimbo mine collapsed, burying alive eight persons, six of whom were rescued alive. Collins Ong’ong’a and Tom Okwach were both killed in the mines.
Okwach’s body remained in the mine until last month when his remains were retrieved.
