The family of Frederick Kiprono, the Kenyan who was shot and killed in the United States, is on the verge of hitting their target funds to repatriate his body back to Kenya.
Kiprono, who was working as an Uber driver, lost his life on Wednesday, November 19, while driving past East Preston Avenue in Louisiana.
According to preliminary reports, Kiprono was in the company of two passengers when they were attacked by another car in what is believed to be a drive-by shooting.
Two of the vehicle's occupants died instantly, while a third passenger, seated behind, escaped the ordeal with critical injuries.
Initially, there was uncertainty about the identity of the victims of the shooting, but Kiprono was eventually identified through a government-issued document in his possession.
In the wake of the murder, Kiprono's body was taken to a funeral home in Dallas, as his family began the process of pulling resources to safely transport his body back to Kenya.
A GoFundMe campaign was launched, targeting at least Ksh 1.5 million (USD12,000) to cover funeral expenses and travel costs. By Wednesday, November 26, the family had accrued Ksh1.1 million (USD9,000) in pledges and direct contributions.
Before repatriation, family and friends of the late Uber driver held a memorial service in Dallas in his honour.
Kiprono, 43, was the oldest of four siblings and was initially living in Illinois before his brother encouraged him to move to Shreveport in 2018.
In a recent interview, the brother admitted he was consumed with guilt after Kiprono's death, stating, “This is somebody who left Africa to look for greener pastures. He is coming back in a coffin. That is tough. My brother was a humble man going about his business as usual.”
Notably, Kiprono was the latest victim of homicide in the Shreveport area in 2025 alone. His death also brought into focus the daunting question of the safety of Kenyans working abroad, coming just days after another Uber driver was assaulted thousands of kilometres away in Dubai.
The victim, identified as Brian Kiplimo, was choked inside his vehicle by a rogue client, with the whole incident being caught on video.
According to Kiplimo's family, the cab driver only moved to the Middle East two months ago in search of greener pastures.
In the video dated November 8, Kiplimo is seen engaging a client while in his vehicle's driver's seat at around 5:58am Middle Eastern time.
