This archive report was first published on 18 December 2019.
On December 18, 2019, the nation was left reeling after the sudden death of Court of Appeal Judge James Otieno Odek, 56, in his Kisumu home.
According to the caretaker of Judge Odek's rural home in Rarieda, Siaya County, the judge had spent the better part of last Thursday at his home, showing no signs of illness.
Samuel On'gera, the caretaker, stated that Judge Odek had taken Christmas shopping to his Asembo rural home on Thursday afternoon and had promised to visit again that week to check on the progress of a farm weeding project.
However, when Mr. On'gera called Judge Odek on Friday to inform him about a water pipe issue, he did not respond, which was unusual for the judge.
Mr. On'gera expressed his concern, saying, 'I called him on Friday to inform him about a water pipe but he did not respond. I first thought he was busy but when he didn’t respond until Sunday, I became worried.'
A postmortem will be carried out at the Aga Khan Hospital in Kisumu on Thursday to establish the cause of Judge Odek's death.
As the community mourns the loss of a hardworking and disciplined man, many are left wondering about the circumstances surrounding his death.
