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I discovered that behind every body brought to the mortuary is a family seeking closure and dignity for their loved one [Photo: Rodgers Otiso/ Standard]
In many Kenyan communities, conversations about death are often surrounded by silence, fear and superstition. Mortuaries are places many people would rather avoid, and for decades, working among the dead was considered a profession reserved mainly for men.
But inside the quiet halls of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital’s Kwee Funeral Home, 43-year-old Jane Atieno Otieno has spent more than a decade challenging those beliefs.
Every morning, before families arrive searching for answers and before the day’s bodies are received, Jane begins with a prayer. It is a ritual that helps her prepare for a profession that demands technical skill, emotional strength and compassion.
