Anne Dayo Makonjo, a 35-year-old Kenyan woman who was found dead in her residence in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, in the United Kingdom, in December 2024, has been laid to rest.
Anne, originally from Majengo in Lumakanda, Lugari Sub-County, Kakamega County, was laid to rest on Friday, March 21, 2025, in Ballymena Cemetery, Northern Ireland. Her burial was arranged and funded by her Polish ex-husband, Jerzy George, after the family lost the initial opportunity to lay her to rest in Kenya.
Anne’s sudden and mysterious death between December 8 and 9, 2024, left her family searching for answers. Found lifeless under unclear circumstances, it remains uncertain whether she took her own life, was a victim of foul play, or succumbed to another cause.
Joseph Navia, her cousin, claims that despite promises from authorities to provide a post-mortem report within three months, the family has yet to receive any official statement.
Anne had relocated to Europe in 2016 after marrying her Polish husband. According to Navia, the marriage began with a wedding in Kwale, Kenya, before they moved to Poland and later to Northern Ireland. However, the union reportedly fell apart, and Anne had been pursuing a divorce, which George had refused to finalize. At the time of her death, she was living separately in a government-provided residence.
Navia further revealed that the family learned of her passing through a Facebook post by a friend, Mihaita Mare.
Mara later revealed to WKT that Anne’s last wish was to be cremated and her ashes spread over the sea.
The family had hoped to repatriate Anne’s body to Kenya for burial, but their efforts were allegedly blocked by George, who resurfaced in January and took full control of the funeral arrangements, including a requiem mass held on March 1.
“As Anne’s next of kin, he decided against transporting her remains to Kenya. The decision devastated us,” Navia said.
Despite being informed about the burial, Anne’s family was unable to attend the ceremony in the UK. Instead, they followed the proceedings online, receiving photos and videos of the event. They hope to visit her grave in the future when circumstances allow.
As a total orphan and mother to a teenage daughter who stays in Kenya with her father, Devis Juma, Anne had to overcome significant challenges. She took up work in Mombasa, where she met her husband, to provide for herself and her child, driven by the need to build a better future despite her hardships.
Juma described his relationship with Anne as one that began when they were too young, centered largely on raising their daughter together. He opened up about the challenges he has faced as a single father since Anne left for Europe and lost contact about two years ago. His world was shaken when he received the devastating news that Anne had been found dead.
“It’s hard to accept that the mother of my child is gone,” Juma said. “I don’t even know how to explain this to my daughter, who constantly used to ask about her. It’s been two years since they last spoke, and now this. It’s just hard to believe.”
