For 35 days now, the family of Tom Okwach, the miner who was trapped when the Abimbo gold mine collapsed, has been camping at the site.
The gold mine collapsed on December 2, 2021 killing one miner but six others were rescued alive after being trapped for a number of days.
Okwach’s family says it will only leave the scene once their kin’s body is retrieved.
“I’m so low, I can’t even work, I am just staying where Tom is,” his father Martin Sikuku said.
“We sleep outside here, we have children. People have deserted us. My mum is diabetic, she has pressure, her condition is not good. Only the family is remaining here,” his sister, Christine Sikuku said.
Photo|courtesy
Efforts are still ongoing to retrieve the 29-year old’s body, however the family is burdened by the cost of keeping the excavator running.
“We don’t have fuel right now and when the excavator stops it means it will go. If we get support, we can leave this place anytime because if the excavator works for two days consecutively we will remove Tom,” Stephen Aliwa, brother to Okwach said.
According to Aliwa, the family has so far spent over Kshs300,000 to keep the excavator running.
“We have sold everything we had in our home,” he said.
“Relatives have helped until they have gotten tired. They have contributed, but still it is not enough,” his sister added.
On the other hand, Okwach’s wife, Jackline, said that their 6-year old son, who is yet to return to school, has not ceased asking the whereabouts of his father.
“It is difficult to answer those questions. If they ask I just remain silent and sometimes I feel like crying,” the mother of two explained.
Volunteers who had given a hand in rescuing the miner gave up the search because the soil was weakening.
The family is hoping that Okwach’s body will be retrieved so that he can be taken to his home and be given a decent burial.
Currently, the family is relying on well-wishers to ensure that the mission is a success.
RELATED STORY: Abimbo Gold Mine: Hopes Of Finding Trapped Miner Dwindle As Rescue Operations Cease
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