Governor Okoth Obado during a funds drive at Got Kweru Suna West sub county

Migori county Government is set to upgrade the tomb of the founder and spiritual leader of the Legion Maria African mission to a mausoleum to attract tourism at the Got Kweru hill in Migori County.

Addressing the church congregation during a fundraising in aid of completion of the tomb at the Got Kweru,Migori county Governor Okoth Obado said that the county Government will partner with the church to uplift and build the tomb of Melkio Simeon Ondetto to a tune of sh70 million to help attract tourists in the place and also restore the history of the church.

“The county Government will help build the tomb into a modern mausoleum where tourists from within the county and other places will have the chance to come and learn about the history of the church founder who passed on 24 years ago and was buried at the hill,” he said.

The Governor said that the county department of tourism will start to monitor the requirements of the tomb and liaise with the church leadership to help in the upgrading exercise and also in identifying items that were used by the founder that can be kept in the mausoleum which can attract tourist into the county and help in uplifting of the tourism sector and the county economy.

The church leadership led by the chairman of the management board Cardinal Samson Arogo said that the church is willing to make the tomb a mausoleum provided that the county Government adheres to the rules,norms and operations of the church that will not hinder tourist into visiting the site that has already been built by the church at sh30 million and still requires sh40 million to complete it.

“The church will partner with county department of tourism to improve the tomb to mausoleum but both parties have to come together and agree on the modalities of how to make the site more attractive to both domestic and foreign tourists in the place,” he said.

The cardinal said that the church has many activities about the founder but the concerned parties have to build the infrastructure and improve the road network that will aid the place and make it more accessible to the tourists and other investors in the Got Kweru hills on the outskirts of Migori town.

The county Government also pledged to improve the lighting and clean water system of the place by providing solar street lights and piped water that will help in securing the areas adjacent to the yet to be built mausoleum and help reduce cases if health hazards that can make the visitors shun away from the site..

“The county will provide the church with clean water and solar lights that will improve the place and also help in the restoration of the security,” the Governor added.

The tomb of the founder of the dominant legion Maria church Melkio Simeon Ondetto in most parts of Nyanza region where his remains were interred was celebrating the 24th memorial ceremony since his death in September 1991.