Grief, calls for justice as slain rugby ace Okombe laid to rest

Josephat Okombe delivered a moving eulogy of his star son Mike as the slain Kenyan international rugby player was laid to rest in his rural home in Emasatsi village Khwisero Sub-County.

Relatives, friends, politicians and dignitaries attended to pay their respects to the former Top Fry Nakuru RFC back row who was reportedly stabbed to death following scuffle at a birthday party in a friend’s house at Olive Inn in Nakuru.

Josephat fought back tears as he narrated the brutally untimely demise of his son who was on the brink of completing a potentially life-changing transfer deal to the 2016 Kenya Cup champions Kabras Sugar.

“It was a truly proud moment for him not just because he was going to get a percentage of the sign-on fee. He felt it was going to change our fortunes as a family. We sat as a family and talked about; we were all happy.

“He promised change here at home and a better future for his siblings,” Okombe Sr. mourned.

The 27-year-old’s family did not imagine that promise would come shattering in the cruelest of fashions a day later as Mike left home on Friday, November 3 to clear with his club in Nakuru and formalise his exit.

The two-time Kenya Cup winner’s other trip would be to Kabarak University for clearance purposes ahead of his December graduation in the coming week.

Okombe Jr. would attend a party on Saturday night (November 4), where he met his tragic death following a brawl with a middle- aged woman believed to have been his partner.

As things got heated, his lover, 10 years his senior, rushed to the kitchen, picked a knife, and then stabbed him.

“It was at 10pm at night when I received sad news of demise of my son; it was painful. Later I received a message of condolence from Kabras Sugar,” Okombe Sr. said.

“My son was brutally murdered by his girlfriend, a person who was even identified that very day he was murdered. We leave that to God,” he added.

A post-mortem examination report released to Okombe’s family by Government Pathologist Titus Ngulungu indicated deceased had four wounds on the chest, head, back and cheek.

The County of Vihiga Deputy Governor Patrick Saisi and Lurambi Member of Parliament Titus Khamala condemned the incident that robbed the region of one its ‘top talents and an inspiration to the youth.’

“Okombe was part of the planning committee that was set to start a rugby club in our county,” Saisi said.

Khamala urged the Department of Criminal Investigative Directorate (CID) to speed up the investigation and arraign the suspect saying if not he will table the motion on the floor of parliament over Okombe’s death.

-Report by Violet Auma