Rebury our relatives with dignity, families tell road contractor

Families whose relatives are buried near the 172km Kibwezi-Mwingi-Migwani road, which is being tarmacked, want the contractor to exhume and rebury the bodies.

At least 14 bodies are buried on a road reserve in Chuluni area of Nzambani district and are set to be reburied on Friday.

The affected families are those of Mausu Ngulu, Daniel Maseki and David Muutu.

The late Mausu family said they were shocked when representatives of Chinese firm Synohydro that is tarmacking the road said they will rebury their relatives in a mass grave.

“It is shocking that the Chinese contractor said they will scoop the bodies of our deceased five relatives and bury them in a mass grave. Only the departed head of the family will be buried in his own grave,” Mausu's widow Nduku said.

Speaking to journalists at her home in at Chuluni, Nduku said even the new yawning graves dug by the contractor do not look decent. “They appear to have no sense of respect for the dead,” she said. 

She showed journalists documents from Mutomo law courts ordering the exhumation of the bodies of her relatives.

Nduku said when she was taken to Mutomo by the contractor to sign affidavits to request the exhumation, being illiterate she signed documents whose contents she was not aware of.

"Now we have a court order for the exhumation. We cannot stop it at this point but we want our people reburied with honour and not in the planned dishonorable way. We also expect compensation not only for the burial site but for all land that has been taken up by the road,” Nduku said.

Her daughter Ruth Mausu and grandson Simon Musembi saidthe road project had adversely affected the family.

“The road has taken up most of the farm where the family used to grow food and it is not going to leaves our departed relatives to rest in peace,” said Ruth.

Acting Kitui county commissioner Jackson Ole Chuta said the families could have been given the wrong information.

“As far as I know, the re-burial will be done with a lot of decency.  There will also be a ceremony as demanded by Kamba traditions,” he said.

He however clarified that families will not get compensation for graves on road reserve as it is public land.