Family members who perished in Limuru accident to be cremated after burial tiff over disputed land

By , K24 Digital
On Mon, 15 Nov, 2021 12:29 | < 1 min read
Family members of the deceased when they viewed the bodies of their kin at Montezuma Monalisa funeral home in Nairobi on Tuesday, November 2. PHOTO/COURTESY.

Three family members who perished in a road accident on Monday, November 8 will be cremated after their kin moved to court seeking orders to stop their burial over a land tussle.

William Kamau Gichatha, his wife Jane Njoki, and their daughter Everlyn Waithira died in a road accident while on their way to the burial of one of their family members in Nakuru. 

In a turn of events, Hannah Njeri Gichatha, the stepmother of Kamau moved to court and sought orders restraining the burial prompting the decision by Kamau’s immediate family to cremate the bodies of the three at Kariakor crematorium on Monday, November 15. 

In her application, Njeri claims that the land where the three were to be buried belongs to her.

The application which was filed at the Murang’a Law Courts under certificate of urgency indicated that tension was already building up between Njeri’s children and Kamau’s children over the issue.

The application further indicated that there is an active case in the Environmental Lands Court which was filed back in 2006 on this parcel of land No15/Gathukiini/528 and is yet to be concluded.

Tension was high on the morning of Wednesday, November 10 after it was anticipated that chaos might erupt after the graves where the three were to be laid to rest were filled during the night.

For the second time, another group came in to dig out the soil but were ordered out by police officers who claimed to be executing the court order.

The family which had vowed to carry on with the funeral proceeded to collect the bodies at the Montezuma Funeral home in Kabati and held a mass at ACK Gakuruwe church after which the bodies were taken back to the morgue.