The death of Robert Moses Magotsi was already a wound that refused to close for his family in Vihiga County. Now, it has become a mystery that is actively erasing itself. Just days after the South Africa-based engineer and poet died suddenly, his social media accounts—the digital repositories of his thoughts, poetry, and life—have inexplicably gone blank.

This digital erasure marks a chilling new twist in a saga that has gripped the diaspora community. It transforms what was a heartbreaking family dispute over burial rights into a potential investigation into who held the keys to Magotsi’s digital life—and what they might be trying to hide.

A Legacy Deleted

For a man who lived publicly as the poet "Sankara Berhane Sellasie," the silence is deafening. Magotsi, a celebrated intellectual with two master’s degrees and a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Nairobi, was not just a private citizen; he was a vocal social commentator. His sudden disappearance from the digital sphere has raised immediate red flags among cyber-security experts and family members alike.

"It is not normal for a dead man to delete his own history," a close associate noted, speaking on condition of anonymity. The timing is particularly suspect, coming at the height of a vicious standoff regarding his remains. While his family in Kenya prepared for a traditional send-off, news arrived that Magotsi had already been cremated by his partner, identified only as Ms. Wanjiku.

The Cremation Controversy

The conflict pits the cultural expectations of the Magotsi family in Vihiga against the legal and personal assertions of his partner abroad. Ms. Wanjiku, in an interview conducted late last month, maintained that the cremation was in strict adherence to Magotsi’s own wishes.

• The Claim: Ms. Wanjiku asserts Magotsi wanted to be "interred as soon as possible" to avoid a protracted mourning period.
• The Pushback: The family argues they were excluded from the decision-making process, denying them the chance to view the body or perform customary rites.
• The Stakes: Beyond tradition, there are looming questions regarding his estate, insurance policies, and the sudden opacity of his financial dealings.

This "diaspora death dilemma" is becoming increasingly common, leaving families in Kenya grappling with legal systems in South Africa, the UK, or the US that often prioritize the rights of a spouse or partner over the extended family.

Prophetic Verses?

Perhaps the most haunting aspect of this tragedy lies in Magotsi’s own words. In his debut poetry collection, Troubled Heart, released in October 2023, he seemed to anticipate a struggle over his worth. One poem, titled "More than a Wallet," now reads like a grim prophecy.

"I know I am only, but a wallet / You see me only, but as a wallet / If I die, insurance will simply refill the wallet," he wrote. These lines are now being scrutinized by those who knew him, wondering if the engineer felt commodified by those around him in his final days.

The Unanswered Questions

As the family demands answers, the deletion of his accounts complicates any attempt to reconstruct his state of mind or communications prior to his death. In the digital age, social media often serves as the first line of evidence. Its removal suggests intent.

Legal analysts warn that unless a court order is obtained to retrieve the data from platform hosts, the truth of Magotsi’s final days may remain buried—much like the ashes that have caused such a rift. For now, the family is left with a book of poems and a digital void where a man used to be.