Nineteen years after Kenya’s 2007-2008 Post Election Violence (PEV), the scars remain deeply etched in the life of Violet Kusa Okata, a widow and mother of two.
Born in Ahero and now living in Dunga, Kisumu County, Violet has endured nearly two decades of sleepless nights following the brutal killing of her husband, Michael Okasa, in Kasarani, Nakuru County.
His body was buried without a head, leaving her family with haunting questions that have never been answered.
Clenching her jaws hard before taking a lomg breath, Violet recalls the desperate search for her husband’s missing head. “I tried everything I could to find it, but all my efforts failed. To this day, I still wonder where it was taken,” she said.
Assisted by a neighbour known only as Kamau, she managed to transport her husband’s mutilated body from Nakuru to Vihiga for burial, even as violence raged across the country.
The trauma of conducting a burial without a complete body continues to weigh heavily on her. “Every day my children ask me questions I cannot answer. Nineteen years later, we still live with this pain,” Violet explained.
Her children, now grown, still struggle with the absence of closure, their lives overshadowed by unanswered questions about their father’s remains.
Violet is now appealing to the government to disclose where the heads of victims were buried, so families can conduct DNA tests and reclaim the remains of their loved ones.
“We deserve to know the truth. Families should be given the chance to bury their loved ones with dignity,” she urged.
Her plea highlights the lingering wounds of the PEV that displaced thousands and claimed lives in gruesome ways. For Violet, the struggle is not only about personal healing but also about justice and recognition for victims whose stories remain untold. Each election season, protests and unrest reopen her wounds, rekindling fear in her household.
“Every election cycle brings fear back into our home. My children live in constant anxiety, and I relive the horror of that time,” she said.
As Kenya looks ahead to future elections, Violet’s voice stands as a powerful reminder of the need for reconciliation, accountability, and healing. Her nightmare is not hers alone, it is a reflection of a nation still grappling with the shadows of its past.
