The body of Tom Okwach has finally been retrieved from Abimbo Gold Mine in Bondo, Siaya County, seven months after the mine collapsed.
Okwach was among nine people who were trapped after the mine caved in on December 2, 2022. One person was killed while seven others were rescued successfully.
The retrieval now brings to two the number of fatalities reported in the incident that has left residents and Kenyans at large questioning the level of preparedness by both the county and national governments to handle similar accidents.
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County approves Ksh6 million to retrieve Tom Okwach's body
In January this year, the County Government of Siaya disputed claims that they had abandoned operations to retrieve the body of Okwach.
Joseph Onyango, the officer in charge of Governance and Administration in Siaya County said a budget of Ksh6 million had been approved by the county to help retrieve Okwach's body. He explained that the county was looking for the money before the exercise kicked off.
"The county government has continuously supported the works at the site. I can recall, the County Disaster Management Committee sat a week ago and came up with a budget in which the retrieval committee at Abimbo site was also invited to the meeting and they gave their input," Onyango said then.
"From that point, a budget of Ksh6,367,745 was arrived at which was approved by the County Disaster Committee and the county government is still looking for the money to be used to retrieve the dead body at Abimbo."
Speaking to the press, Okwach's family said they had sold most of their family assets to purchase fuel for the excavators deployed to help in the rescue mission in vain.
Prior to his untimely death, Okwach had opted out of his Boda Boda business to engage in mining to supplement his income.
“I lost my first son years ago and Okwach has always been the breadwinner. I hope I will see him alive once again,” the deceased's mother said in an interview in December 2021.
