A Chinese firm tarmacking the 172km Kibwezi-Kitui-Mwingi highway on Thursday exhumed and reburied eight of the 14 bodies interred on a road reserve at Chuluni.
During the exercise two bodies belonging to Mausu Ngulu's family could not be traced.
The exhumation and reburial took place under the watch of the Chuluni police station OCS Cheroyot Kisorio.
Affected families had protested that the remains of their relatives should not be reburied in a mass grave.
On Wednesday, Mausu's family rejected plans to scoop the remains of their loved ones with an earthmover and bury them in a mass grave. The family also demanded compensation although the graves were said to be on a road reserve.
By 4pm on Thursday, a bulldozer belonging to Synohydro Corporation was still busy digging in search of bodies of two members of the Mausu family.
Family Nduku Mausu sat forlornly, staring at a distance as she took in what was happening. She told the media she did not approve of the exhumation.
On Wednesday, the 89-year-old Nduku showed journalists documents from Mutomo law courts ordering the exhumation.
However she 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 did not understand.
But at the family of David Muutu, members had no problem with the contractor moving the graves of their four relatives.
Family spokesman Daniel Mumo said they has been well briefed about the action and allowed it. He said four relatives were exhumed and reburied in graves they had prepared in anticipation of the exercise.
On Friday, the contractor's earthmover is expected to move to the family of the late Daniel Masiseki where four bodies said to be buried on a road reserve will be exhumed and reburied.
