Family of 254 fashion founder in need of Sh2.5m to bring his body back to Kenya
The family of Mike Mulwa, an Atlanta based Kenyan who was shot dead on June 4 at a petrol station in Alabama, needs Sh2.5 million to bring home the deceased’s body for burial.
According the deceased’s brother, Vincent Mutuku, the family is still trying to raise the amount and is therefore appealing to Kenyans to help in fund raising.
“We are still doing the paper work and fundraising in Alabama, Atlanta and in Kenya to raise Sh2.5 million for clearance and transport from Alabama to Kenya,” said Mr Mutuku.
Mr Mulwa, 29, the proprietor and founder of #254 clothes label, who until death was living in the US state of Atlanta while working in Alabama, was in the process of acquiring the gas station from another Kenyan who owns it.
At the same time, it has emerged a day before Mulwa was shot dead, robbers stole packets of cigarette and money from the petrol station where he worked.
FATAL SHOOTING
“On Friday two people robbed the store but warned him not to report to the police. But he reported the incident because by complying with the robbers he would have been accused of being an accomplice,” said Mr Mutuku.
The night after the robbery, one of the robbers came back and confronted him demanding to know why he reported them leading to his fatal shooting.
After being shot, Mulwa managed to call the first name in his phone book saved as Agnes and told her to call 911.
According to the brother, the police responded within 12 minutes and found two people trying to resuscitate the victim.
ENTREPRENEUR
The brother said Mr Mulwa had a merchandise shop at the petrol station.
“Mulwa was a leader an entrepreneur. Whatever he touched turned into gold,” said Mr Mutuku.
Vincent Mulandi, a cousin of the deceased, said that Mr Mulwa had once told the owner of the building to put up a bullet proof glass wall following another robbery that took place in December last year.
Mulwa moved to the US in 2008, and worked in various department stores in Atlanta before landing a job with Shaw Industries.
The family has described him as a soft-spoken and kind man with a contagious smile.
The deceased leaves behind a wife and two children. The couple was also expecting their third child.
Family and friends are meeting everyday in Nairobi’s Garden Square restaurant, Alabama and Atlanta for the funeral arrangements.
