Mzee Jackson Kibor to be buried next to his first wife

Prominent businessman Jackson Kibor outside the Eldoret Chief Magistrates' Court after he won a divorce petition against his estranged wife of 52 years Josephine Jepkoech on the grounds of cruelty, desertion and denial of conjugal rights in October 2017. [Kevin Tunoi, Standard]

Businessman and farmer Jackson Kibor will be buried on April 1, the family has confirmed.

He will be laid to rest at his farm in Kabenes, Soy sub-County, next to his first wife Mary who died in 2010.

According to the family, Mr Kibor – who belonged to the Chumo age set – had picked his burial site in accordance with Nandi culture.

He also owned farms in Trans Nzoia and Uasin Gishu counties where his four wives lived.

Mr Kibor’s eldest son Philip, who is the family spokesperson, said the polygamist had bought the Kabenes farm in 1968. And when Mary, his wife of 52 years, died, he buried her at the farm.

“At the time of my mother’s death, she was living in Kitale and mzee was based here in Uasin Gishu. He decided that his first wife be interred here where he was living, saying that he would follow suit,” said Philip.

He said that although his father was a strict observer of Nandi culture, he often gave his children freedom to choose their own paths.

“He was a traditionalist, but in the same breath liberal. This he demonstrated during the passing of rites and in matters of religion. He encouraged his sons to pick whether to embrace the traditional passage of rites (circumcision) or the religious one. He also did not want his children to be forced to go to church.”

In the meantime, the family is moving on with burial preparations as they wait for relatives who are outside the country to arrive before burying their patriarch.

“Mzee was a man of the people. He had many friends and treasured his neighbours. Over the past days, we have been welcoming his friends who have been travelling here from other countries and counties to help plan a befitting send off. With regard to this, everyone will be allowed to attend his funeral ceremony,” said Philip.

He added, “We will have a memorial service in honour of our father, but the venue will be communicated later. We will have a night vigil on March 31 before the final send-off the following day.”

The family said Mr Kibor had written a will where he distributed his property among his children and wives.