Crowds gather in Kisumu to receive TikToker Zack Apela’s body days after his death in US
By Steve Ireri, July 25, 2026Crowds of family members, friends and fans gathered in Kisumu on Friday, July 24, 2026, to receive the body of late Kenyan TikToker Zack Apela, days after his death in the United States.
The emotional homecoming saw mourners accompany the hearse carrying Zack’s body as it made its way towards his ancestral home in Ahero, with the procession marked by dances, drums and dirges as those who knew and followed him gathered to pay their final respects.
The arrival marked a significant moment for Zack’s family and the Kenyan TikTok community, which had rallied behind his loved ones in the weeks following his death and helped raise funds to facilitate the repatriation of his body from the US.
As the hearse made its way through the area, crowds walked alongside it, with mourners using songs and dances to honour the late content creator and accompany him on the final journey to his hometown.
The procession brought together people from different walks of life, including members of Zack’s family, friends and fans who had followed his journey on social media.
After the hearse arrived in the area, the mourners proceeded with funeral activities that included a church service at St Peter’s ACK Ndori, located next to the Ahero Interchange.
The emotional scenes came after the family changed the initial programme and announced that Zack’s body would travel to Kisumu by road rather than by flight as had initially been communicated.
According to the revised funeral programme, the body left Nairobi at 5:00am on Friday, July 24, for Ahero Town in Kisumu County.
Burial donations
Before his body arrived in Kenya, the Kenyan TikTok community mobilised to support Zack’s family with the cost of repatriating his remains from the US.
The fundraising effort attracted contributions from TikTokers and other Kenyans who wanted to support the family in giving Zack a dignified send-off.
While announcing the latest contributions during the live session, Dr Solo expressed gratitude to those who had supported the family, highlighting a Ksh90,000 contribution from popular TikToker Nyakwar and her supporters.
“Yes, wow, this is amazing. First, right now, Nyakwar has sent Ksh90,000. Thank you. The total is Ksh405,545. That is the single largest contribution from Nyakwar and her team. I would like to thank all of you,” he said.
As the contributions continued to come in, Dr Solo later announced that the amount raised through TikTok had crossed the Ksh1 million mark.
He said the overwhelming support had changed the family’s perception of the TikTok community, particularly after some people had initially questioned whether content creators on the platform could come together to support the family.
“So far from TikTok, we have received Ksh1 million, and I want to go downstairs and break the news to those people. Thank you so much. Let’s continue like that. So Zack’s body, I can say, must be brought back home,” he said.
The fundraising was driven by the family’s desire to have Zack buried in Ahero, where his final farewell is now taking place.
Earlier burial plans
The decision to bury Zack in Ahero had been announced by Dr Solo during a family update on Thursday, July 2.
At the time, the family had proposed a tentative burial date of July 18, although Dr Solo explained that the final arrangements would depend on the success of the fundraising efforts.
He revealed that the cost of transporting Zack’s body from the US had been estimated at USD35,000, equivalent to approximately Ksh4.5 million, with the amount covering the cost of repatriating the body.
“The cost of transporting the body today is USD35,000. That is just to bring his body. There are still many other costs involved,” Dr Solo said.
“Zack was one of your TikTokers. He was close to me and I would love it if we buried him with respect. With one heart, let people come together and contribute,” he said.
On Saturday, July 25, the programme will continue with body viewing and last respects before Zack is finally laid to rest.