A family in Bungoma County is living through unimaginable heartbreak after losing their beloved daughter, sister, and mother, Sarah Nangila Kaita, who died in Qatar on July 19 after battling a prolonged illness that left her fighting for her life in the Intensive Care Unit for several weeks.
What was meant to be a journey of hope has ended in tragedy, leaving Sarah’s relatives desperately appealing to the Kenyan government to help bring her body back home for a dignified burial.
Sarah, a devoted mother of three, travelled to Qatar in October 2025 with dreams of securing a better future for her children and supporting her family financially. According to her relatives, she was healthy and full of optimism when she left Kenya, never imagining that she would never return alive.
Trouble began only a few months later when the family started receiving alarming reports about her declining health. Her nephew, Kevin Juma, recalled that around June 10, Sarah informed him that she had developed a painful swelling in her stomach. Concerned, he urged her to seek medical treatment immediately.
Although she visited a hospital, her condition continued to worsen. By June 22, Sarah had become critically ill and was rushed to Al Wakra Hospital, where doctors admitted her for specialised treatment. Within two days, her health deteriorated further, forcing doctors to transfer her to the Intensive Care Unit.
For nearly four weeks, Sarah fought bravely for her life while her family back in Kenya clung to every piece of encouraging news they received. Just days before her death, her sponsor reportedly assured Kevin that she was responding well to treatment and would soon be transferred from the ICU to a general ward.
That hopeful message gave the family renewed strength.
However, their hopes were shattered on July 19 when Kevin received the heartbreaking phone call confirming that Sarah had succumbed to her illness.
As painful as her death has been, an even greater challenge has emerged.
According to the family, Sarah’s sponsor has since stopped responding to their calls and messages, leaving them stranded and unable to begin the process of repatriating her remains. They also claim that Sarah did not possess a Qatari identification document, a situation they fear has complicated the legal procedures required to return her body to Kenya.
Speaking through tears, Sarah’s niece, Sheilah Nyangweso, made an emotional appeal to the government to intervene.
“Please help us bring our sister home for burial. We are pleading with the government to intervene because we cannot do this alone,” she said.
The grieving family has now appealed to the State Department for Diaspora Affairs and the Kenyan Embassy in Qatar to urgently assist in tracing the sponsor, completing the necessary documentation, and facilitating Sarah’s repatriation so that she can be laid to rest among her loved ones.
They have also called upon compassionate Kenyans and well-wishers to stand with them during this painful period, saying the emotional and financial burden has become overwhelming.
Sarah’s tragic death has once again highlighted the difficult realities that some Kenyans working abroad face, with families often left struggling to navigate complicated legal and diplomatic processes after losing their loved ones far from home.
Comments from Kenyans
- Mercy A.: “This is so heartbreaking. May God comfort the family and may the government move with speed.”
- Brian K.: “No Kenyan deserves to be abandoned after death. Bring Sarah home.”
- Faith N.: “She left to provide for her children, only to lose her life. This is devastating.”
- James O.: “The embassy should intervene immediately. Families should not suffer like this.”
- Lucy W.: “Rest in peace, Sarah. May your children find strength during this difficult time.”
