Elders bury banana stem in initial grave dug for Juja billionaire

Kikuyu elders have buried a banana stem in a grave that was dug in preparation for the burial of Juja business mogul Christopher Mbote.

This is after a Thika court ruled that a new grave should be dug on a section of the land that will be ceded by the deceased’s two wives, who were feuding over rights and where to bury their husband.

After Mbote’s demise on January 16, his first wife Margaret Waithera began burial preparations and dug a grave in her compound without involving her co-wife Anne Njeri.

This prompted Njeri to seek legal redress which saw the burial ceremony set for January 27 canceled.

Following court intervention, the two families identified and settled on a section of the one-and-a-half acre piece of land owned by the deceased where his remains will be interred on Friday.

Before the new grave was dug, Kikuyu elders from Juja subcounty performed some traditional rituals while covering the grave that had been dug earlier.

A banana stem together with its roots was sourced and laid in the grave as the elders prayed while facing Mt Kenya.

Elder Nyotu Njogu explained that traditionally the grave that had been prepared for the deceased cannot be refilled without a proper traditional ceremony.

“Mbote was an elder who strictly followed and observed culture. According to the Agikuyu culture, a grave cannot be left unfilled because if left it will bring more adversities to the family and even worse death," Njogu said.

"Today we have just laid the banana stem in the grave and an official ceremony to refill the grave and plant a banana will be conducted by elders once we lay to rest our brother [Mbote]."

Elder Koigi Wanarua explained why the Agikuyu community plants a banana in the grave of a deceased person whenever disputes arise.

Wanarua said that the Agikuyu believe that a banana supports life and is mostly used to feed children as they grow up.

“We plant a banana with its roots because it will surely sprout again and give life,” Wanarua said.

The elders noted that the court’s intervention has quelled the tension between the two wives and they have all agreed on the burial site.

 Waithera’s lawyer Githinji Mwangi divulged that the grave site is not exactly where the court had ordered it to be dug noting that the land has not been subdivided.

He, however, noted that both families were in agreement on where Mbote’s remains will be interred since it’s accessible and convenient for all.

“Surveyors from both families have agreed that the place where the grave will be dug is not central but has been agreed upon by all parties. We will be notifying the court on the same when the matter comes up for mention,” Mwangi said.

Some of Mbote’s children who spoke to the press including Kefa Gitau Mbote (Njeri’s son) and Mercy Mbote (Waithera’s daughter) confirmed that they are all in agreement on the location of their father’s grave site.

“We have agreed to give our dad a befitting sendoff and we are in agreement on his final resting place which can be accessed by all members of the family,” Gitau said.

The business magnate, who's now survived by his two widows and 13 children, is renowned for his huge investments and especially in the real estate sector in Kiambu county and other towns like Kenol in Murang’a county.

He owned various wholesale shops and had investments in the transport sector. He also owns a famous petrol station in Juja known as Kareme.