Kisumu County to stop burials in estates to pave way for town expansion

Kisumu county government is fast-tracking the process of implementing a ban on burials within estates and the city's boundaries. [iStockphoto] For years, Gaston Oketch, 70, has always known Migosi estate in Kisumu as his ancestral home where all their kin built their homes, lived and were buried. In line with the tradition, Oketch's family adopted a traditional Luo homestead and set it up in the estate. The tradition dictates that the elder son should construct his house on the right hand side of his father's house, while the second born is to construct his house on the left hand side of the father's homestead. In several estates in Kisumu, a few homesteads that adopted the tradition still exist as families remain keen to maintain their way of life in a city that is rapidly growing. But that style of life could soon be a thing of the past as rapid changes, development and expansion of the city's boundaries consume traditional homesteads that once dotted the city. While some residents have already accepted that the town's growth cannot allow them to continue with the old ways and have sold their land to go and resettle elsewhere, others are still keen to continue with the trend. In Migosi, where Oketch hails from, a number of traditional homesteads have remained isolated and are disappearing as residential flats and other private investments take over and push natives out. The same is also evident where several homes have disappeared, including the home of John Ondele who was among the first people to settle in the area. Kondele earned its name from John Ondele. Now, however, descendants of Ondele have moved back to their ancestral home in Alego while others have settled in Kano as Kondele's massive growth pushed traditional home set ups out and demand for land for development soared. A section of Nyalenda slums in Kisumu county. [Micheal Mute, Standard] The few families who are still remaining are now living in fear as the county government fast-tracks the process of implementing a ban on burials within estates and the city's boundaries. The families living within the city limits and in Manyatta, Obunga, Nyalenda, Migosi, Kibos and Mamboleo and Bandani estates have been burying their relatives at their homes located in the estates. But the county government has now banned burials in these estates. In an interview with several natives, they claimed that they will reject attempts to force them to bury their kin at public cemeteries and claimed it is against Luo traditions. According to them, the city's estates are ancestral lands and they have a right on their usage including burying their kin and setting up their traditional homes. Oketch, who believes his kin will be buried in Migosi, says the directive is ill-thought and that it should only apply to those who have leases from the county government. "I was born here and it is the only village that I have known my entire life. Are our villages less villages?" he says. Oketch questions what will happen to the existing graves. According to him, such directives can only apply to those who hold leases issues by the municipality. For 66-year-old Phares Okoth, who is also a member of the council of elders of Kasagam, the community has been conducting their burials according to Luo traditions. "We already received information that the city management have plans to stop burials in our areas of residence. However, it must be understood that these are our ancestral lands, we have lived here and buried our kin here and nobody has talked to us about it," he says. Okoth says they understand the city is developing, but if there are any plans to stop them from burying their kin in the ancestral lands, then there is need for public participation. He notes that through public participation they will be able to come up with solutions. "We have our own Luo culture. For example, if my mother-in-law is from Kajulu, you cannot bury me there because it is a taboo. If we bury someone away from our ancestral land, it is like throwing his corpse and then his or her spirit suffers," he explains. He adds: "We are not here to fight government but the government must not also fight us because we are owners of the lands." Goats on a roof in a delapidated house in Nyawita estate in Kisumu County. [Boniface Okendo,Standard] He says that county government should also allocate land for every community to act as a cemetery, to avoid cultural confusion and mix up. According to city manager Abala Wanga, the villages are now part of the Central Business District (CBD), and residents will no longer be allowed to bury their kin in the estates. He said that residents living in those areas must create a mindset that the city has grown and burials in the estates is no longer acceptable. He argued that burial in the CBD does not add value to urban generation as it reduces value for land and respect for an area. "Who will buy land littered with graves everywhere? Some of the graves are cemented with concrete. Let us start sensitising ourselves against burial in CBD areas," he said. "The public cannot be heaping graves there anymore because they are CBD estates. We have a cemetery in Mamboleo," added Wanga. He said some of the people who claim to be natives can trace their ancestral homes outside the city, adding that there is a cemetery at Mamboleo that can accommodate the graves. "If you cannot trace your clan to the village, you cannot bury in the CBD estates, acquire space in Mamboleo cemetery, fence it well and build a mausoleum if you want and bury there with a proper tomb," he said. According to the city manager, burials within the city will dissuade some investors from coming to invest in Kisumu. The ban on burials within the city is part of a wider strategy to remodel Kisumu and change its infrastructure outlook and development plans. Already, the county government has developed the Kisumu Local Physical and Land Use Development Plan that will help guide development in the city. It is a plan that will see landowners with freehold titles lose their 'powers to own' when the documents change to leasehold, if the House approves the proposal.

Kisumu County to stop burials in estates to pave way for town expansion

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