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A 71-year-old homeless Kenyan man has passed away in the United States after spending about 50 years in North America.
Officials at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia confirmed that Timothy Majanja was admitted at the facility after being driven there in an ambulance and in critical condition. He however died after being put in a life support machine.
His relatives, who live in Lubao, Kakamega said they had received news of his demise and are making arrangements for his body to be flown back to Kenya for burial.
“We are devastated by the news and the elders here can’t fathom the idea of their son being buried in a foreign land, thousands of miles away from his ancestral home,” Protus Muhanji Shikoli, Majanja’s nephew told KNS Media via phone.
“We have been through a lot as a family….we wished we could see him alive but obviously. it was not meant to be,” he added.
Catherine Ogembo, Majanja’s niece who lives in the New Hope City, Minnesota said the hospital engaged police in tracing his kin before “they made the decision to just let him rest in peace.”
In 2014, NTV aired a story of the deceased, where he was appealing for help to return to Kenya after 46-year stay in North America. He told the media station that he wanted to return home after having had enough in the US.
Majanga traveled to Canada in 1968 then moved to Georgia, US in 1993, and has been living in squalor after losing his job in 1993. After his story was aired on NTV, Alphonce Shikoli, his elder brother, said the family was happy to learn that he was still alive.
“We eagerly await the return of our ‘prodigal son’. We are fattening a bull to slaughter upon his arrival,” said Shikoli at his rural home in Lupao Village, Kakamega County.
In the 2014 interview Majanja asked the Kenyan government through Ministry of Foreign Affairs to intervene and help him travel to Kenya, since he had lost his documents.
In 1973, Majanja was recruited into the prestigious Royal Canadian Mounted Police, where he served before venturing into politics.
He run for city representative in Calgary, Alberta, where he lost. He also unsuccessfully contested for a vacant mayoral seat. After moving to Atlanta, he worked for a transport company, but later lost the job.
“I lost my driver’s license and all the other documents which I had kept in a safe deposit at a local bank,” he said during the interview.
“I have no single document and can’t travel anywhere,” he said, adding, “I appeal to the Kenyan embassy to give me some travel documents so I can visit my relatives back home.”
He said he had married a Canadian woman with whom he got a son, but could not travel there to see them. “I married a Canadian lady and we had a son, but now I can’t even travel there to visit them,” he said at the time.
Comments
I agree 100%. And JFYI: The Best LUHYAS know in America (especially Houston, TX) is Coveting & Destroying their Fellow Kenyans' Marriages. Call some of these Menyans "Doctors of Coveting"; but I call them Down-low Mashogas.
I've lived in Atlanta for many years and met Majanja in the early 90's. Let's not make him into a saint. He drunk and wasted himself while in the company of his buddies and some of them have passed on. Let's not point fingers at those of us who strive to do what's right.
When I saw his TV interview he put on a kind of demeanour that didn't sell me his story. But what has happened has happened...RIP old guy
That's Africa for you. I'm a Ghanaian but I was touched when I heard the story. Africa has no Hope
I wonder why he had not worked since 1993 after losing his transport job.
@ Nyina wa Raila, I wondered the same.Especially if he was that ambitious in the early years.I have heard that some homeless people just give up and take the easy way out,and that is live just about responsibility-free.While some are driven by mental issues and drugs, some find it easy not to work,and hassle.Wear hand-me -down- cloths,and eat free at kitchen soups,food pantries,or Salvation Army. Its sad to end up like this .Practically with no friends or close family nearby.
Somebody here said the embassy should have helped him.I say yes. When you find some one willingly wants to go back practically with nothing,whereas 71% you youths want to come here,please help him. Air fare would be the least gava can do for him. Obvious if his family were able, they could have paid for him.
Sounds like the man was buried according to the niece? If the elders care about his body so much they should raise $12k and KLM will grant their wish. The idea of caring for the dead while the person lived in squalor is becoming more and more ridiculous. We have to stop this nonesense which has nothing to do with our culture but white man's. In my culture, bodies would be thrown out for hyenas to feast.
My sentiment exactly. This idiocy of people pretending to care only when someone has passed is a real tragedy. Kama huyu ni mtu wao, they would have at least tried to help him sort out his stuff while he was still alive. This guy has lived in the US more than 254, so he really is more American than Kenya. Wacha azikwe US
I agree with you. Why do they desperately want his body sent back home. Why didn't they use same effort to get him back home 4 years ago.
Shame on Kenyan Embassy in Washington, DC for not giving this man travel documents as they had promised. Somehow there is some info' he was not disclosing because Ronald Wilson Reagan gave people amnesty in 1986. Kama angekuwa na makaratasi he could have gone to DMV to get another ID once it got lost. RIP
His whole story dont add up. We talking about 23 years of being homeless. That's really strange
@Michelle, he could have gone to the police station to report that he lost his documents. With a police report he could have reapplied to get his ID and other documents
I think the shame is on NTV, they used his story to make money, then left him on his own. The embassy cannot give papers, unless one request. Same thing with the State of GA, they cant replace drivers license unless one file a request. Then Canada, he needed help to get his social benefits. NTV could have helped him do the paperwork. Replacing a DL in GA cost $10, but NTV was more into the story than helping the poor guy. BTW did you see the guy who was beaten in NBO last week. Imagine all those "respected" journalist, and all they could do was video and photos. More than 10 journalists, and none could even think of calling 999. In Kenya, its every man for himself and God for us all.
Mzee lived a useless life.He forgot home when he had money n this excuse of I lost documents I cannot travel home is no here no there.He could have approached the Kenya embassy in dc to b given travelling documents to go home.Why must his dead body b taken to Kenya coz it seems he forgot kenya 50 yrs ago.Kama umeamua utakaa majuu zikwa majuu it save cash so when u die pple will just go withdrawal the money then send u back home??I still not get tired of stating invest invest home for the shit day!Shit can happen whether u are earning big $$,u can loose yr job,u can have a shit divorce or separation.Guys invest invest ka something for the rainy day.1993 bin in majuu he could have invested good coz it seems he had a good job n money was overflowing but again tunabrainwashiwa na barabara,manyumba za majuu tunasahau huko sio kwetu???Otherwise sir Majanja Rest In Peace wherever u are.
@MHalisi. Unsolicited advice again. Huchoki. People's situation vary so do not be bossy and make ignorant comments. What if Majaja had mental health issues? Or addiction? Or other health problems that prevented him from being able to keep a job?
Kenyans are garbages..They love dead than living. Prefer. Ghana and Ethiopia people deeds than rotten kenyans.
Some Kenyans thrive being know it all sharks with a pull me down attitude. Others are gentle humble and caring. Hope you come across the latter soon.
Kenyans are garbages..They love dead than living. Prefer. Ghana and Ethiopia people deeds than rotten kenyans.
Please talk to fellow Kenyans and you will find out like feel better than the other one.
I honestly don't expect my tax money to be used, bailing people abroad who can't get their act together.
We have lots of homeless people in Kenya to.
Kenyan embassy is useless
Why couldn't you raise this money to bring your man back... Now after his death you want to go ahead slaughtering a bull.... I mean what does it mean... Let the man be burrid in the land you call foreign
Depression. It’s deadly.
Kenyan Embassy please please you need to go round every state and meetings with Kenyans to know how are they doing, many things is been going around, we are lost our ID , passport , place to stay , no food your friend has kit you out of house, we need help
Aki the people commenting on here are so USELESS!!! So you all clearly have never dealt with homelessness. When someone is homeless, you can't just tell them to come home... This guy was asked multiple times to go home by his family but he didn't want to because he was used to the streets and didn't know better. So who are you on here to fucking judge the family??? So yes after his death, they finally have the power to take him home. So please, go sit somewhere and stop judging without knowing what the family went through. Why are Kenyans so useless and always ready to talk shit??? NKTest
Majanja Died On 2nd May And Was Burried On 26 May 2018 At Lubao Kakamega Kenya..
It's a shame four years after NTV aired his plight, our USELESS embassy couldn't get this mzee travelling papers to go back home.
If he tried to apply for a passport, he would have required a Kenyan id and to get an ID he would hv needed a copy of the ID of one of his parents. Are they even alive? What a joke. This must be the reason he was stuck in Georgia.