Man, 73, almost buried alive by kin

What you need to know:

  • The family members, including his own children, manhandled him, threatening to bury him alive in the grave meant for his brother’s wife.

  • Police arrived in the nick of time and rescued him, but not before he got a few bruises.

Police on Tuesday saved a 73-year-old Nyeri man from being buried alive by his family after he barred the interment of his brother’s wife.

Mr Caesar Kagima obtained a court order stopping the burial of Beatrice Njeri on a disputed piece of land on Monday.

There was drama at Mairu-ini in Othaya as furious family members accused Mr Kagima of fraudulently transferring ownership of the land to his lover’s 10-year-old son, who was then six months old.

The family members, including his own children, manhandled him, threatening to bury him alive in the grave meant for his brother’s wife.

“We either bury my mother or him as the grave will not be left empty,” said Ms Janet Wanja, one of Ms Njeri’s daughters.

However, police arrived in the nick of time and rescued him, but not before he got a few bruises.

Despite the presence of the police, the family insisted the woman would be buried on the piece of land.

“She will be buried here at whatever cost,” declared Ms Wanja.

The family was also furious that Mr Kagima had not said anything about the court order until Tuesday morning.

“We were only made aware of the order after all the burial arrangements had been finalised,” said Mr Joseph Wambugu, a nephew of the deceased.

After some discussion, Mr Kagima agreed to withdraw the court order. The burial went ahead, but the family was told no one could claim ownership of the land until the matter was determined in court.