NO PEACE UNTIL I BURY MY ARM

In the remote Singila Majengo village of Mwatate, Kenya, David Sanguli has spent the last 16 years haunted by the loss of his right arm.

The tragic incident that changed his life forever occurred in 2007 at Teita Estate sisal farm, leaving him grappling with not just physical trauma but also the exorbitant cost of retrieving his severed limb from Wesu Hospital Mortuary. 

It was a fateful evening in May 2007 when Sanguli's life took a devastating turn. While working at the Teita Estate sisal farm, his right hand was severed by a machine as he fed sisal leaves into it. The excruciating pain, shock, and panic set in as his colleagues rushed to switch off the power.

Police Involvement and Mortuary Bill 

Sanguli's severed hand was taken by the police to Wesu Hospital Mortuary. As he received treatment at Moi County Referral Hospital in Voi, he learned about the fate of his limb.

In April 2008, a police letter finally allowed him to retrieve it, but it came with a staggering mortuary bill of KSh 106,000. Sanguli couldn't comprehend why preserving an arm for 355 days would demand such an exorbitant sum. 

With his medical condition, raising the money was impossible, and his pleas for a waiver fell on deaf ears. The mounting bill now stands at an unthinkable one million shillings.

Disposal Dilemma

 Worse still, the Public Health Act, Cap. 242, mandates the removal and disposal of unclaimed bodies from the mortuary after just fourteen days. The possibility of his arm being disposed of hangs like a grim cloud over Sanguli's quest for reunion and closure. 

A Glimpse of Hope 

Despite the odds, David Sanguli remains hopeful that one day, he will not only be reunited with his missing limb but also find the closure he so desperately seeks through a proper burial. His enduring faith fuels his determination to see this heartbreaking journey through.

For David Sanguli, the quest to retrieve his severed arm is a harrowing tale of perseverance and hope. His story serves as a stark reminder of the complexities and challenges individuals face when seeking justice and closure after traumatic incidents.

The question of whether his arm remains in the mortuary freezer or has been disposed of remains unanswered, leaving him in agonizing limbo.