Francis Atwoli made an emotional declaration at the funeral of his daughter-in-law, Maureen Nyadida Lukoye, vowing that no other member of his family would be cremated following Maureen’s own wish to be cremated after her death.
The powerful COTU Secretary General spoke candidly at the memorial service held on September 17, 2026, at All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi, revealing that coming to terms with Maureen’s cremation had been a deeply personal struggle.
What Francis Atwoli ordered his family to do
He acknowledged that while cremation is increasingly common, it conflicted with his own cultural and traditional values.
Maureen, wife of Prof. Lukoye Atwoli, the Dean of the Medical College East Africa at Agakhan University and firstborn son of Francis Atwoli, passed away on the evening of September 7, 2026, after battling cancer for 11 years.
She died in her husband’s arms, surrounded by family and close friends, and was described by those who knew her as a peacemaker, a devoted mother, and a woman of extraordinary compassion.
Atwoli, while giving his tribute, noted that he only allowed the family to cremate Maureen because her biological father had agreed to it.
He also vowed that as long as he is alive, he will not allow another family member to be cremated, even as he encouraged people to embrace modernity in various ways to bury loved ones.
“It is not easy to get a good wife as my son did. She was not just a wife, she was not just a woman, she was a respected daughter in my family. Very close to the family, and everybody at home. Kijana wangu, ndugu zangu wanataka kujifunza kutoka kwako, umesimama na huyu msichana kwa miaka mingi tangu apate tabu bila complains, you are a strong man,” he said.
Following the Nairobi service, Maureen’s body was taken to Karako Crematorium, with a burial ceremony scheduled for 20 September 2026 at Mulwanda Primary School in Kakamega County.
“I want to assure them that no member of my family I still have living, because I will be around for 130 years. Yule atakuja na will, atapata the father of goons. It will go in accordance with our culture and traditions,” he added.
