How I ended up doing the job nobody wants

For Aloiys Momanyi, the idea of working as a mortician never crossed his mind. He had never even considered a career in the field.

However, back then at the age of 24, Momanyi, like many young people of his age, was unemployed and looking for work. In desperation, he turned to his neighbour for help, unaware that this simple decision would lead him down an unexpected path.

It wasn't long before the neighbour returned with a job offer.

"I thought I was being called for an office job, but when I turned up I was told to report to the Nakuru Public Mortuary (now Annex). They convinced me that I'd be looking after the flowers and sweeping the grounds. Yes, I thought I could sweep, but there were hardly any flowers to tend to," he recalls.

At first, he was willing to take on these tasks, but when he saw that there were hardly any flowers to tend, he began to have second thoughts.

Momanyi's neighbour had not revealed the full extent of the job. The menial tasks were simply a means of luring him into other work inside the mortuary.

When he was asked to extend his work to the morgue, he simply laughed and jokingly dismissed it, saying: "Acha ikae, kama ni hiyo. Hiyo ni kazi ya wazee." Feeling uncomfortable, he left.

But that would not be the end of his career, after a few days the neighbour convinced him to give the job a second try. Although Momanyi was reluctant, he agreed to return, telling his neighbour that he would stick to cleaning.

As time went by, however, his curiosity got the better of him. He began to spend more time inside the morgue, learning from his colleagues.

Slowly, the smell and environment became more familiar, and eventually Momanyi found himself starting to tend to the dead. At first he was just an observer.

It wasn't until 2012, when an intern came to train at the facility, that Momanyi realised he could become certified for his work.

As fate would have it the following year Momanyi received a scholarship from the municipality to attend a three-month certificate course in Nairobi.

“I knew the moment I took this course that everything would change. After the period, I graduated as a mortuary technician and continued my practice at the Chiromo Funeral Parlor,” he notes.

Two years later, he was promoted to head mortician. In 2021, he moved to Gilgil Sub-County Hospital where he continued to grow in his career. A year later, he received another scholarship from the county to study for a two-year diploma in Kisumu.

Today, Momanyi is a mortuary technician and one of the pioneers in his field, an achievement that fills him with pride.

Reflecting on how much the profession has changed over the years, he notes that people's perceptions of mortuary work have changed.

Despite this, some of his family members initially struggled to accept his career choice, causing him emotional distress. He recalls a time when people avoided speaking to mortuary attendants, and he was once the subject of ridicule: "Cheki hawa majamaa ni wa mocha, wametoka kupora hao watu alafu wamekuja hapa." 

Determined to change perceptions, Momanyi made sure his children knew about his work early enough, teaching them that his job was no different from any other.

Today, as treasurer of the Mortician and Allied Professional Association of Kenya (MAPAKE), Momanyi is helping to bring respect and recognition to the profession.

MAPAKE aims to unite mortuary workers in a similar way to doctors. 

“We have also been registering the numerous students who have enrolled in mortuary science over the years to share job opportunities among them and offer recommendations,” he says.

Momanyi is encouraged by the increasing number of women entering the field, as well as the many young people who see it as a viable solution to unemployment.

He believes there is plenty of room for growth in the sector, both locally and internationally, and sees it as an industry that offers opportunities for advancement.

Looking back, Momanyi is proud of how far he has come and how much the profession has evolved.

From a young man uncertain of his future to a respected mortuary technician, his journey serves as an inspiring reminder of how perseverance and an open mind can lead to unexpected yet fulfilling career path.