Teacher finally laid to rest after two exhumations

There was relief in Gachaviri village, Mbeere South sub-county, during the burial of a teacher who had been exhumed twice in a dowry row.

The remains of Lillian Chepkorir Tonui, 36, were finally interred in her husband's farm seven months since her death after her family and her husband's clan agreed to settle a dowry balance later.

Chepkorir, a mother of two hailed from Kericho County and was married to a fellow teacher, Elias Mwangangi Njogu, for the past nine years but they had reportedly not concluded traditional rituals.

Her body was first buried in Gachaviri in February but her family obtained orders from a Kericho court ordering her exhumation, which was carried out on March 1, this year.

Her family then proceeded to lay her remains to rest in Kericho which triggered another round of court battle which Mwangangi, through his Gekara clan, successfully appealed and another exhumation was ordered in June.

He was finally granted permission to bury his wife and this time round, the burial was attended by representatives from both sides who had arrived at a truce.

Gekara Clan Chairman Justin Ngure said elders from both sides had agreed they would pay a dowry balance said to be around Sh180,000.

"We resolved to end our differences and we will visit our in-laws to put an end to differences we had," he said.