This archive report was first published on 18 July 2020.
On July 18, 2020, thousands of fans gathered to give Ohangla musician Maureen Achieng, popularly known as Lady Maureen, a befitting send-off in Migori County. The event defied Ministry of Health directives on Covid-19 safety.
The funeral, which was attended by over 150 musicians, including Dolla Kabary and Evance Ochieng, alias Prince Inda, was a grand affair. Fans, led by Gor Mahia FC supporters, took over the funeral, overwhelming police as they led the huge crowd in an enthralling funeral match along the Migori-Masara highway to the musician's parents' home.
Some of the mourners had travelled from as far as Nairobi and started arriving on Friday when the body was scheduled to be picked from Ojele Memorial Hospital for an overnight stay at her parents' home before the burial.
However, the plan failed after authorities refused to release the body at the last minute on Friday, citing security and health safety concerns. This followed chaotic scenes witnessed at the burial of another popular musician, Bernard Onyango, popularly known as Abenny Jachiga, who was buried at night in Kisumu County a month ago.
Despite prior arrangements for tight security at the burial, police watched helplessly as the swarming crowd of mourners completely disregarded social distancing rules and the requirement to wear face masks.
At the burial, a small 'akumba' - a traditional single mud-walled room - had been put up for Lady Maureen the night before to signify a homestead for the 36-year-old musician who died on July 11 after ailing for a long time.
As a diehard fan of Gor Mahia, Jaro Soja said they went to bury their hero since her songs kept the spirit of the football team alive.
