Ruto mourns Homa Bay pastor whose vocabulary-rich prayer left him in stitches

President William Ruto has led Kenyans in mourning the death of Homa Bay County Chaplain Pastor Raphael Obego.

Pastor Obego died on Wednesday morning after a short illness.

On his Facebook page, the Head of State described the deceased as a dedicated servant of God and a prayer warrior.

“He was a light-hearted faith leader, whose sermons were not only provoking and evocative, but also clear and authentic,” the president wrote.

He continued, “Our prayers are with the Obego family and his congregation in Homa Bay County at this difficult time. Rest in peace.”

The president first interacted with the deceased in February when the clergy prayed at the opening ceremony of the Homa Bay County International Investment Conference.

The clergy’s choice of words, which included complex expressions, made people who were attending the event including the president and US Ambassador to Kenya, Meg Whitman, laugh in the middle of the prayer.

A video of the laughter and the pastor was widely circulated online. Other leaders who mourned Pastor Obego are Interior Principal Secretary (PS) Raymond Omollo and Governor Gladys Wanga.

Dr Omollo said the clergy was able to offer uplifting spiritual teachings to the people he addressed.

He said Pastor Obego’s unwavering faith and optimistic spirit illuminated the paths of many, offering hope and encouragement when it was needed most.

“My sincere condolences go out to his family, friends, staff, and people of Homa Bay. May his soul find eternal peace,” Dr Omollo wrote in his condolence message.

Ms Wanga said the deceased touched the lives of many people with his compassion, guidance, unwavering faith, and positivity.

She said the decision that the cleric made to serve the county government and the people of Homa Bay will forever be remembered.

Pastor Obego on Monday attended a meeting at the Governor’s Park in Homa Bay Town when the county government was conducting a sensitisation campaign on the Social Health Authority.

According to Homa Bay County Health Chief Officer, Kevin Osuri, the cleric died when he was undergoing an emergency surgery at the county teaching and referral hospital.

He told journalists that the late Obego died from peritonitis- a life-threatening infection that causes inflammation of the peritoneum, the tissue that lines the abdomen and covers the abdominal organs.

A day before, the cleric complained of difficulties in breathing. Dr Osuri said the clergy called and asked to be taken to hospital in an ambulance.

He said the cleric was treated with antibiotics and painkillers when he was admitted to hospital.

“Other investigations such as X-rays, ultrasound, and lab work were ongoing as he was being checked by our team of dedicated doctors. He was being managed just as the protocol demands,” Dr Osuri said.

Medics however realised that the condition of the cleric was not getting better. His abdomen was becoming bigger. Doctors had to analyse his condition further. Dr Osuri said a tube was inserted in the cleric’s nose.

“We managed to aspirate a lot of purses from the abdomen. With the quantity of purse drained, it was alluded that there could be another strain of purse in the abdomen,” the medic said.

Doctors wanted to find out the source of the purse and to see if it could be managed immediately. A decision was then made that Obego be taken to the theatre for an emergency operation.

Dr Osuri said surgeons at the hospital wanted to perform an exploratory laparotomy, which is a surgical procedure that involves opening the abdomen to visually examine the organs for injuries or disease. It is often performed under general anesthesia.

“The infection and deterioration of the body was fast and we lost him,” the chief officer said.

A postmortem was later conducted on the body in the presence of the family of the deceased. Dr Osuri said the deceased had perforations in his duodenum. He said the clergy also had a purse in the abdomen.

“Food contests, stomach acid, and fecal matter were leaking into the abdomen. It is what caused the infection,” he said.

The medic said the condition causes infections in the blood and other toxins in the body. The body of the deceased was transferred to Med 25 mortuary in Kirindo as burial plans commenced.

Homa Bay County Interfaith Network Chairman, Abraham Odongo, described Pastor Obego as “an astute theologian and bible scholar who could not shy away from stirring the crowd with his big Cambridge, Oxford class English lexicons”.

“He is best remembered by offering a great prayer during President William Ruto’s last visit to Homa Bay County, where he shot to instant fame as a result of his grammatical prowess,” he said.

Pastor Odongo said the deceased was his close and jovial friend. He said he was a humorous person who could cause people to break into uncontrollable laughter.

“He was a great person. Homa Bay County has lost a valiant and gallant son,” the cleric said.

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