By Pkemoi Ngeno
Various communities have different ways of burying their dead. For this matter, some burials are explicitly bizarre, others funny, while the rest might look utterly crazy.
For instance, a fortnight ago, the burial of a middle-aged man in Nakuru was disrupted towards its completion after a section of his mourning friends demanded that the deceased’s grave be stuffed with some specific personal effects he owned before his death.
A handful of youthful men, with whom the deceased belonged to ‘Kata Hema’, a weird sect, arrived at the graveside two hours after the ceremony had began.
The curious youth left other mourners dumbfounded when they stepped forward and stood by the grave just before the body was lowered.
Cooking fat
Each was carrying some items, which included packets of rice, wheat and maize flour, bar soaps and cooking fat.
These, they declared, should be stuffed into their colleague’s grave before they could allow anybody to dispose of his remains.
But some relatives of the diseased were not amused by the unfolding events although the rogue youths would not relent on their demands.
Accusations and counter accusations rent the air and finally a damning secret came to the fore.
“Azikwe na vitu vyake!” (let him be buried with his belongings) ,shouted one of the strange youthful men.
Attempts by two clergymen who were conducting the burial ceremony to cool off the tempers bore no fruits.
Frustrated, one the pastors shouted, “Shetani ashindwe katika jina la Yesu (we curse the devil in the name of Jesus!).”
It did not help.
Then one of the now dreaded youths offered to resolve the impasse on condition that he was allowed to address the mourners on behalf of his group.
Promoted
Permission was granted. He exalted the deceased as a hardworking and aggressive member of ‘Kata Hema’, a gang rumoured to be one of the most murderous sects in the county. He was said to have been promoted to the rank of a ‘chief,’ before he died.
The air was by then getting palpable with excitement because according to the villagers, the diseased had left the gang and converted to Christianity and eventually got baptised.
He further shocked the mourners when he revealed that once a member of ‘Kata Hema’ had taken the oath allegiance, there were compulsory rituals, which must be performed during his burial ceremony, which included getting buried with the baffling personal effects.
The situation was saved by the area assistant chief who threatened to arrest the youths if they did not abandon their mission.
