Costly burial: Ban pushes up cost of wooden coffins

Emmy Jepchirchir at her coffin shop in Eldoret. Coffin makers have raised concern over the logging saying that it has affected their business. The prices of coffins has shot due to the lack of timber. 09-04-2018. [Kevin Tunoi]

When Robert Ayiro pledged to help his extended family buy a coffin last week, he knew the cost would be ‘the usual’ price.

Three months ago, Ayiro, as a member of a funeral committee for a colleague’s relative, had bought another casket and did not think the price had changed.