There was drama at Mutarakwa village in Limuru on Tuesday when mourners who had gone for the funeral of a 73-year-old man found out that he was buried on Sunday night in unclear circumstances.
There was confusion and anger as residents, family, friends and church leaders realised there was no body to bury. They had no option but to pray and leave the home.
Burial committee chairman Samuel Njoroge said Joseph Waiganjo was to be buried on Tuesday, but when they went for the burial they learnt that he was buried on Sunday night.
Njoroge said he was called by youths who had been asked to dig a grave, saying that the deceased had been buried at the site they had been shown.
“In our village, we normally dig the grave one day before the burial. Youths called me asking why we had requested them to dig a grave and we had already buried Waiganjo,” the chairman said.
Speaking yesterday at Waiganjo’s home, Njoroge said he thought people would not come since they had received the message that Waiganjo had been buried.
Waiganjo’s widow has been summoned by area chief George Mbugua to his office. His son recorded a statement at Mutarakwa police station.
Efforts to get a comment from his widow were unsuccessful as she was not at home and her mobile phone had been switched off.
Pastor George Kamau said they had never seen such an event in the area.
Kamau asked people to plant flowers on the grave as the family and the administration looked for a way forward in regard to the funeral.
“If one wants to exhume the body for a decent burial, the government must be involved and there are costs. Let us wait for what the administration and the family have to say,” the cleric said.
