The body of Kenyan student Sharon Jepkosgei Kigen, who drowned in Australia last month, has been airlifted to Kenya for burial.
The body arrived at Eldoret International Airport on Sunday where it was received by family and friends, who could barely control their emotions.
A brief mass was held at the airport before the body was shuttled to the Eldoret hospital mortuary in preparation for her burial on Tuesday.
Sharon, who hails from Moiben in Uasin Gishu County, drowned in Sydney’s south-west on February 21 while swimming with friends.
Emergency services were called to Georges River at Macquarie Fields after the woman “failed to resurface” when swimming about 3.45 pm. NSW Police said they searched the water to find her.
“Officers from The Traffic and Highway Patrol entered the water along with members of the public and commenced to search the water where the woman was located and brought to the shoreline,” NSW Police said in a statement.
NSW Ambulance paramedics performed Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) but she could not be revived.
Sharon moved to Australia in November last year to pursue a master’s in IT at Catholic University in North Sydney and was set to begin on February 23.
