- The 100-acre cemetery located along Langata road has for several years been the subject of debate and concern among the City residents over its ‘sorry’ state.
- This has caused untold anguish, pain and suffering to bereaved families, and psychological torment to the neighboring community.
Image: SCREENGRAB
The debate surrounding Nairobi’s Lang’ata cemetery declared full more than 20 years ago has returned with a legislator now petitioning the government to find alternative land for use.
Through a motion, area MP Phelix Odiwour argues that the continued neglect and use of the burial ground have continued to pose serious health risks to the public.
He says as it is currently bodies are buried in shallow graves due to overcrowding and double-allocation of sites leading to frequent uncovering by wild animals from the nearby national park.
“This has caused untold anguish, pain and suffering to bereaved families, and psychological torment to the neighboring community,” reads the notice of motion.
Noting there is an ongoing outcry from the public over it, the MP wants the ministry of health to urgently conduct an assessment of the public health risks posed with a view to undertaking necessary interventions.
“This House urges the National government through the Ministry of Health to urgently conduct an assessment posed by the continued use, and to institute mitigatory measures and collaborate with other stakeholders, including the Nairobi city to identify suitable alternative land for use as a cemetery,” the motions further reads.
The 100-acre cemetery located along Langata road has for several years been the subject of debate and concern among the City residents over its ‘sorry’ state.
Image: File
In 2009, City Hall is said to have lost millions of shillings after the then City Council of Nairobi paid Sh283 million for 48.5 acres in Mavoko, Machakos.
The land was valued at Sh24 million.
Former Local Government PS Sammy Kirui and former City Council of Nairobi Clerk John Gakuo were charged and jailed for their role in the cemetery land scandal.
In the 2016-17 budget, the county had expressed an interest in acquiring cemetery land in Kajiado but turned out to be a costly venture.
In March 2017, the county had planned to petition Parliament to allow it to use as a graveyard in the 67-acre forest near the filled-up Lang'ata Cemetery.
This was after the Kenya Forest Service rejected its request to swap the filled-up cemetery with the forest.
KFS had said the government allocated the old Nairobi City Council 50 acres in the 1990s to expand the cemetery. It had asked City Hall to account for the land.
However, City Hall carried out investigations and there are no records to show that the national government gave City Hall 50 acres.
City Hall charges Sh30,000 for adults, Sh4,000 for children and Sh2,000 for infants.
Those from outside Nairobi are charged Sh40,000.