When David Kalamu left his Moruk home last Thursday to assist in the burial arrangement of his kin in Kapretwa village in Trans Nzoia County, little did he know what awaited him.
In a sad twist of fate, Kalamu 60, met his death in a cruel manner. The man was hacked to dead by his nephews for making a coffin for his late brother-in-law Nyongesa Maero without their consent.
Kalamu is married to Maero’s sister. Maero died last Sunday at his home and preparations for his burial were at an advanced stage.
Kalamu, a former carpenter, was working on the coffin when his nephews descended on him using part of the wooden bars he had prepared to fix the coffin.
It appeared there was disagreement with regard to the burial arrangements and preparations. Area acting Chief Humphrey Chemingich said before Kalamu met his death, two camps had emerged among Maero’s family members with one group supporting the late.
“Kalamu had assembled materials for making the coffin when one group opposed to his action demanded that he destroys the coffin. They also opposed his proposal to have Maero buried yesterday (Saturday),’’ said the source.
A confrontation ensued and Kalamu was hit on the head with a plank of wood and died instantly.
“Displeased by their uncle for refusing to dismantle the coffin and heed to their proposal to suspend the burial, the nephews picked the wooden bars that their uncle was using to fix the coffin and beat him to death,” said the chief.
Early burial
After the incident, the irate nephews set the coffin on fire and then disappeared from home, said the chief.
Kalamu and one of Maero’s sons had proposed that the burial be held early to facilitate the burial of another kin in Bungoma County while the other group was opposed to the plans.
The group opposed to early burial of Maero argued that the exercise be suspended until next week to allow them to attend the one in Bungoma.
Majority of the clan members are in Bungoma and some relatives wanted to attend the burial of a member of their clan there before Maero could be buried.
Kalamu’s body and that of Maero, his brother-in-law are lying at Kiminini Cottage Mortuary.
With this new death, tension is high in the family with some members not seeing eye to eye.
“Members from the two families are not seeing eye-to-eye and elders have been asked to resolve the problem before the bodies are interred,” said a source close to the family.
It will take a while before the two are buried because a traditional rite is expected to be conducted to cleanse the families.
