80-year-old man 'appearing' to family at night exhumed in ugly family dispute

Exhumation of an 80-year-old man's body at Kakimanyi village in Webuye West constituency where he was buried one month ago. [Jackline Inyanji, Standard]

The body of an 80-year-old man buried a month ago has been exhumed at Kakimanyi village in Webuye West constituency.

This follows a burial dispute between the deceased’s family members.

‎A Kimilili Court, in Bungoma County, ordered the exhumation of Evans Masolo's body following a case lodged by his younger wife.

‎On Wednesday, the body of the octogenarian was exhumed following the court order, with heavy police presence at the scene.

Both sides are demanding burial rights, with the second wife's family insisting the man should be laid to rest in Kimilili, where they reside.

Exhumation of an 80-year-old man's body at Kakimanyi village in Webuye West constituency where he was buried one month ago. [Jackline Inyanji, Standard]

Speaking to journalists after witnessing the exhumation of the body, the family of the deceased, led by his eldest son Levi Masolo, said they had taken the step of going to court to oppose the burial of their father in that area, saying that according to the burial certificate, their father should have been buried in Nasusi village, Kimilili constituency.

READ: Man's body exhumed three years later after dispute over cause of death

‎The family called for cooperation between the feuding parties to prevent further conflicts that may arise.

"We need love, peace and to work together as a family, however the family is divided and the deceased's brothers buried him at night in a situation that angered him and he has been appearing to us in dreams stating that he wants to be taken to his home and accorded proper burial rites,” Levi said, adding, “He was buried at night and his body had to be exhumed and be buried properly.”

‎According to Levi, there were issues which didn’t comply with his family, and that’s why the body had to be exhumed.

‎"The brothers of my father, sisters and other relatives went against our family wishes and took our land title deed, and they refused to give it back to us,” he said.

Apart from that, we had agreed that the body had to be buried at Nasusi in Kimilili, even though the burial permit states that the body should be buried at the final residence of our father, he said.

Exhumation of an 80-year-old man's body at Kakimanyi village in Webuye West constituency where he was buried one month ago. [Jackline Inyanji, Standard]

To him, some of the family members had gone against his wishes and buried the body at the first wife's place in our absence and at night, something we are happy about as a family.

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‎Some elders in the area, however, condemned the act, saying that according to the traditions and customs of the Bukusu community, such an old man should be buried at night.

According to Tobias Wanjala, when a man dies, he’s usually buried at his first wife's place.

 “Our tradition clearly states that an old man over 80 years old is supposed to be buried at night. As much as the law is being followed, they have to look at the will, what culture states when an old man dies and what his burial wishes were,” Wanjala said.

In this case, the deceased wedded his first wife, who unfortunately died, and he’s supposed to be buried where she was buried.