Police in Murang’a arrest three attempting to stop man's burial
A group of mourners prepare to bury Paul Mathigi in Kiawanjugu village, Kiharu in Murang’a County on September 25, 2019. The burial had been disrupted after some relatives caused drama as they sought to prevent his interment. Police intervened. PHOTO | NDUNG’U GACHANE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- In a letter seen by the Nation, the faction opposed to the burial said they Ms Muthoni’s son’s biological father.
- The letter was signed by a Mr Samuel Migwi and other family members.
- Police arrested three unruly men who had vowed to disrupt the funeral.
There was drama and tension in Kiawanjugu village, Kiharu in Murang’a County after a family who had returned home after collecting the body of their kin from the mortuary found the grave already covered with soil by relatives.
Ms Lucy Muthoni and some villagers had returned from the mortuary in Murang’a town expecting to accord her son a peaceful send-off, only to find the grave covered with soil.
This forced her to seek the intervention of the police and the area chief.
OBJECTION
Her in-laws were opposed her burying her son on her late husband’s land, claiming that she bore him before she got married to their relative and that she had no right to bury him there or inherit the land, a claim she objected to.
In a letter seen by the Nation, the faction opposed to the burial said they Ms Muthoni’s son’s biological father.
The letter was signed by a Mr Samuel Migwi and other family members.
UNCOVERED GRAVE
After arriving form the mortuary, Ms Muthoni led her friends in uncovering the grave with police officers directing the aggrieved parties to produce a court order stopping the burial instead of taking the law in their own hands.
Drama ensued after some of the people opposed to the burial tried to physically stop Ms Muthoni from uncovering the grave.
Police arrested three unruly men who had vowed to disrupt the funeral.
HURRIED BURIAL
Fearing an attack by the unruly relatives, Ms Muthoni and her friends hurriedly buried her son without any funeral ceremony.
“My son has been living here since I got married but my in-laws do not want him buried here so as to stop me from inheriting my late husband’s four-acre land, but I thank God because the community has stood with me and we have buried him though without any ceremony,” she told the Nation.
Following the heated arguments with some relatives vowing to exhume the remains of Paul Mathigi and torching his house, Chief David Gachanja warned anyone from taking the law into their own hands.
He said anyone with objections to the burial must present his case in court.
“We are getting reports that there are people who want to torch the deceased’s house and exhume his remains. I warn them that such actions are against the law and will not be tolerated. Let anyone with contrary opinion follow the law,” he said.
