A welfare check requested by relatives led Phoenix police to inform them on October 28 that Dickson Gitonga Mbatau had been found dead inside his home. The family had grown concerned after he stopped answering calls.
The timeline comes from Tuko.co.ke, which reported that Mbatau's relatives went roughly 48 hours without hearing from him before their concern turned into action. According to the outlet, the family requested the welfare check after growing anxious about his well-being, and police subsequently informed them that Mbatau had been found deceased inside his residence in Phoenix, Arizona. The outlet's reporting does not address what caused his death.
Mbatau had celebrated his 54th birthday four days earlier, on October 24, sharing photographs from a dinner with family, according to the same report. His family is now dealing with the loss while trying to arrange for his remains to be taken to Kenya for burial.
Family Appeals for Help Bringing Him Home to Kenya
The family is seeking funds to return Mbatau's remains to Kenya for burial, Tuko.co.ke reported. Sharon Mumbi, who is coordinating the arrangements, has appealed for prayers and financial contributions, and the family has set up a GoFundMe campaign to help cover repatriation costs.
Documents Needed to Transport Remains to Kenya
The Kenya Embassy in Washington says families transporting a Kenyan’s remains to Kenya need, among other documents, proof of Kenyan citizenship, a locally issued burial or transit permit, a certified death certificate and a local health-authority letter stating the person did not die of a contagious disease. The requirements are listed by the Kenya Embassy in Washington.
Separately, a Legacy.com obituary page shows that Peace Chapel Funeral Home published Mbatau's obituary on October 29, 2026, with the listing also referencing Bedford Memorial Funeral Home in Bedford, Texas, in connection with the arrangements.
Fundraising for Repatriation
The family’s appeal follows other fundraising efforts by Kenyans abroad facing repatriation costs. In 2024, the family of Nelson Kimathi Munene, a 27-year-old Kenyan IT expert who died in Denver, Colorado, launched a GoFundMe seeking $30,000 for similar expenses, according to Mwakilishi. The outlet reported that the campaign had raised $4,195 as of its latest update at the time.
For now, his family's focus remains on gathering the support needed to carry him home for burial, even as they continue to process a loss that came so soon after a birthday meant to be celebrated, not mourned.
