The Nakuru government’s proposal that residents cremate the bodies of their loved ones has been received with mixed reactions.
The county made the proposal on Tuesday, citing lack of enough space in cemeteries.
Public Health officer Samuel King’ori says the Nakuru North and Naivasha cemeteries are full.
The county issued a notice on the same on June 2 last year.
The county has different ethnic groups with different customs, making it hard to convince them to cremate bodies.
“Rural ancestral homes are the traditional burial places for most Kenyans but some are now breaking from the custom and opting cremation, which means
they do not perform ritual and religious burial rites," resident Mary Moraa said.
Resident Steve Nduhiu said: "The population is increasing. The more we keep burying the more land will go. It will reach a certain time when we will not have enough space to live.”
Evans Shiverenji said cremation interferes with spirits and the ghost of the dead.
Bishops Abraham Gitu and Joseph Wambugu of Naivasha said the matter is very sensitive.
“I will not comment on the matter because it is sensitive. I want to do my research first,” Wambugu said.
King'ori said it is difficult for the county to find land to buy.
“Residents fear selling us land because they do not want to live near the cemetery or have their land border the cemeteries,” he said.
“The law also requires that a soil type assessment be done to establish whether it can allow for speedy body decomposition. We want between 30 and 50 acres.”
King'ori said the law also says a cemetery should not be near water bodies to avoid pollution.
Those who wish to bury the dead pay Sh20,000 to buy space at a section of the cemetery and Sh3,000 in the southern part of the graveyard.
Most graves at the Nakuru North cemetery date from November 1918 and were made from the convalescent camps at Nakuru.
The cemetery has 27 Commonwealth graves from World War I and 45 from the World War II.