To The Memory of Ernest Muiru, age 25

Death removes us from one plane,
sets us at another place,
death communicates suddenly,
not subtle at all,
a finality of  a reaper,
bent on plucking a life,
whichever way,

One dies,
one assumes rest,
but raises more questions,
all the answers may be solved,
some vaguely,
others fully,

Perhaps you were asking,
to be helped,
may be you said your house,
was going,
you could not afford rent,
you imagined how you could survive,
you went to UNHCR for help,
perhaps they said:
"wait my dear we shall work on your case,"
it could be you tested acceptance,
you could have asked to be allowed,
to sit down so that you rest,
you could have touched your stomach,
most likely out of the desire to assuage,
the pangs of hunger,
you may have smiled,
your beaming face being mistaken for a well off
person,
you went back to UNHCR several times,
you believed in knocking on doors,
perhaps they said:
"wait my dear we shall work on your case,"


Now all we say is:
we wish,
we wish,
we wish,

shocked,
shocked,
shocked,

if,
if,
if,

There are those with a deja vu,
a publicity machine is churning out,
niceties and more niceties,
there are others who are devastated,
a mother in agony:
"my son  who lived in foreign lands,
has gone to the other land where we shall all meet,"
some friends are devastated:
"the powers that be, how much longer shall we tell you,
we are in trouble and disoriented?
Isn't one death one too much?"
The UNHCR:
" we ask all who are aware of this tragic event,
wherever you may be in the world, to respect the basic dignity
of the deceased, and those who survive him, by desisting from
circulating pictures taken at the scene of his death today,
as well as any speculative, unconfirmed information
which may further exacerbate existing tensions.
This is a particularly important request to
you in the present context in Kenya, and globally.
May Aneste Mweru rest in peace."
 THOMAS REUTERS FOUNDATION:
'Fathiaa Abdalla, UNHCR representative in Kenya,
said in a statement that the organisation was
 "profoundly shocked and saddened by the
tragic death and apparent suicide" of the
refugee and it was cooperating with
the police investigation.'

Rest in peace, Ernest Muiru,
One refugee well wisher:
" am so sorry to hear about this, and so sorry about your loss."
A relocated refugee:
"May his soul Rest In Peace." 

As your body is brought down,
from a tree where you hanged,
the winds an ever blowing witness,
to have your last offices,
performed with a dignity you deserve,
it is my hope that your memory,
will be cherished by all you met,
rest in peace Ernest Muiru!