MALINDI, KENYA – A Malindi man, now orphaned, has issued a heartfelt public plea for assistance in locating the relatives of his late mother, Pauline Nakiru Lotukei, who hailed from Lokichoggio in Turkana West. John Kioko, the eldest of four sons, is racing against time to connect with his maternal kin before his mother is laid to rest, a situation that underscores the profound challenges of family separation and the erosion of cultural ties for many who migrate across Kenya.

Pauline Nakiru Lotukei passed away recently in Malindi, leaving her sons with a painful void and an unanswered question: who are their people? According to Kioko, his mother left her ancestral home in Turkana as a young woman and never returned. She settled in the coastal town of Malindi, where she married a man from the Kamba community. Together, they purchased land and raised their four children.

The family's disconnection from their roots was compounded when their father passed away. His body was taken by his relatives for burial in his ancestral home in Ukambani, leaving Pauline and her sons in Malindi. Throughout her life, Pauline reportedly never spoke of her family or specific origins in Turkana. “Mum and Dad never visited the village or Turkana, where she was born, since 1985," Kioko stated in his appeal. He also noted that customary traditions, such as the payment of a dowry, were never fulfilled, further isolating their family unit from its extended kinship networks.

Now, with their mother's passing, the four brothers find themselves in a cultural and emotional quandary. They wish to inform their maternal family of her death as a matter of cultural respect before proceeding with the burial. "We plan to bury our mother in Malindi, where they bought a piece of land," Kioko explained, highlighting their desire to proceed but with the proper cultural observances. To aid in the search, Kioko has circulated his mother's identity card and photographs on social media platforms, hoping someone will recognize her and connect them with their estranged family.

A Broader Kenyan Story

This personal tragedy reflects a wider socio-economic narrative in Kenya, where internal migration, driven by the search for economic opportunities, often leads to a gradual severing of family and cultural ties. Lokichoggio, part of Turkana West Sub-County, is a remote town near the South Sudan border. The region is primarily inhabited by the nomadic Turkana community. Historically, Lokichoggio was a significant hub for humanitarian operations during the Sudanese civil war, hosting numerous NGOs. However, the town's economy has seen a decline in recent years following the reduction of these operations.

The vast distance and cultural differences between Turkana County in the arid north and the coastal tourism hub of Malindi represent a significant journey. For individuals like Pauline Nakiru Lotukei, who moved decades ago, maintaining contact would have been challenging, especially before the advent of modern telecommunications. The story of her sons now trying to bridge this gap highlights the importance of kinship in Kenyan society, particularly during significant life events like birth, marriage, and death.

The family's appeal has been amplified by friends like Bidzame Ndaro, who reiterated that the primary goal is simply to inform Pauline's relatives of her passing before the burial proceeds. As of Thursday, 13th November 2025, the search continues, with the brothers hoping that the digital reach of social media can traverse the physical and generational distance to reconnect a family long separated by geography and circumstance. The case is a poignant reminder of the countless personal histories scattered across the nation, waiting to be pieced back together.