Villagers shocked at tycoon's dawn burial in Siaya County

The late Tycoon, Eliakim Washington Olweny, who was buried at 8 am at his home in Ukwala, in Siaya County following wrangles between his three wives

A family was accused of taboo after burying a tycoon at 8am, shocking hundreds of mourners among them Members of Parliament, who had turned up for the funeral.

Renowned Nakuru businessman Eliakim Washington Olweny was buried under tight security in a brief and tense dawn ceremony at his home in Ugenya, Ukwala following weeks of wrangling among his three wives.

Elders said family members had defied tradition and would be haunted for the rest of their lives because they had failed to conduct elaborate Luo cultural burial rites.

Leaders, who included Siaya Senator James Orengo, Ugenya MP David Ochieng', his Langata counterpart Joash Olum, area Member of County Assembly Jack Odinga and Ugenya Parliamentary hopeful David Ohito arrived at the home at about 11am to mourn the businessman who had close links with ODM leaders only to be told he had been buried.

"We were shocked to find that our friend had been interred early in the morning due to a family dispute," said Mr Ohito, the outgoing Standard Group Online Editor.

Mourners who had walked out of the compound, promptly returned to the homestead and demanded to be addressed by the Siaya Senator.

Some of the leaders present protested over the early burial.

"It is unfair that such a hardworking person and role model — someone who deserved a befitting sendoff was hurriedly buried like a child because of a family feud. We do not really understand the cause of this, but it is not fair," said the MCA.

The late Olweny died of cancer on November 28 last year but could not be buried because two of his three widows filed a suit blocking his burial, claiming they had been locked out of burial arrangements by their co-wife.

Norah Olweny and Annah Wanjiru, the second and third wife respectively, filed the case before Senior Resident Magistrate Faith Munyi seeking temporary orders to stop the burial.

They accused the first wife, Mrs Phelesia Olweny, and her sons Timothy and Edwin of locking them out of the burial plans.

Last week, the court allowed them to bury their husband after they hammered out an out-of court agreement.

Close family members declined to speak to the press but Ukwala OCPD Paul Tiriki said the first wife's family asked to be guarded during the early morning ceremony.

"As soon as mass was over, they laid the engineer to rest. We were asked to provide security because we were made to understand the wives had issues," said Mr Tiriki.