By Reuben Olita
A Malaba clearing agent was pronounced dead on Sunday soon after arriving at Kocholia Sub County Hospital for treatment.
The deceased father Rafi Babu told the press at his Ikapolok residence on Monday, said his daughter Amina Mohammed Rafi had battled with Diabetes and High Blood Pressure for a long time.
” On Sunday, she witnessed an unusual rise in blood pressure. The deceased daughter called her uncles Babu and Shabram, who rushed her to Kocholia Sub County Hospital, where she was pronounced dead soon upon arrival.
Amina was laid to rest at Malaba Muslim’s Cemetry in Ikapolok. Hundreds of mourners from the Muslim community, politicians, and clearing agents where Amina worked attended the burial that was punctuated by intermittent rain after the body was lowered in the grave.
Until her death, Amina was an employee of Maua Ventures, a clearing firm domiciled at the Malaba Border town. She discharged her duties as a finance officer.
Director Mr Patrick Kobia said Amina joined the firm, which deals with cargo clearance in 2004, describing her as very cooperative, hardworking, focused, and with a firm stand in any duty she executed.
Mr Deo Otia, the former KIFWA Liason Officer, Deo Otia, said he was humbled working with Amina, describing her as a humble, very friendly, and down to earth person.
“Through her hard work, Amina bought a parcel of land within Amagoro trading centre and developed it to confirm her determination to change the paradigm shift.
Otia added that he remembered with nostalgia how Amina approached him for permission to plough his Amagoro parcel of land.
” I obliged instead, leaving it to stay fallow. I will miss somebody who used to take care of my parcel of land.”
Former Malaba Central Ward MCA Benard Papa said he had known Amina since childhood while in school and as a clearing agent, adding that she was also his tenant.
Malaba Central MCA aspirant in 2027 elections, Moses Imai said he was a days-scholar with Amina at Kamurai and later hustled with her before she joined the clearing fraternity.
Sheikh Abdalla, the Imam Malaba, said youths have developed a culture of not wanting to go to hospital when they fall sick, less oblivious that death is inevitable.
Sheikh Mohammed Fundi narrated the chronology of a Muslim from the time they die to burial day.
They start from death confirmation, informing people of such death, washing of the body by the family members, clothing the deceased. Women are clothed in white garments like Jesus and men with three sheets, not necessarily new ones and prayers, with the body carried to the mosque in a casket.
” Muslims have no enemity with christians. It’s only the Jews who are bad people to Muslims and Christians,” Sheikh Mohammed said, adding that 80 per cent of the Jews don’t believe in christianity,” he noted.
