Drama as casket dumped at debt defaulter’s home

A casket found dumped in a home in Elbergon, Nakuru County. [Kennedy Gachuhi, Standard]

A family in Elburgon, Nakuru County woke up to a rude shock after they found a casket and a cross dumped outside their home.

Hundreds of residents milled around the home to get a glimpse of the scene even as the family remained tight-lipped about the circumstances under which the casket found its way there.

The residents watched from a distance fearing that the casket might have been containing the body of a deceased person.

The opening of the casket took the intervention of local administrators who were holed up in a security meeting in Molo Town and later arrived at the scene in the afternoon led by Mutamaiyo Location chief Bethuel Kibe.

“We received reports that a casket with a person’s body had been dumped within one of the homes. On arrival we opened the casket and found out that it was empty,” said Chief Kibe.

By using details on the cross that was placed by the side of the casket, the authorities managed to establish the perpetrators of the bizarre act.

Kibe revealed that the deceased whose supposed casket was found at the scene had lent Sh150,000 to the homeowner who had failed to repay half of it.

“Ruth Wamaitha had given the homeowner Sh150,000 but she had only been repaid Sh75,000 and the rest defaulted. The two came to my office and we spoke about the matter. Unfortunately, Wamaitha died before it was concluded,” said Kibe.

He added that the deceased who was ailing had left instructions that should she die, her body should not be buried before the debt is fully settled.

“She had a lot of anger towards the defaulter despite having an agreement on how the money was to be repaid. Her family members are only following her instructions. She had actually intended to have her body brought to the home which was shocking to me too,” he said.

He, however, noted that at the time of the incident, the defaulter had traveled to his second home in Kuresoi.

He explained that the deceased was to be buried on Wednesday but the ceremony was postponed to Thursday.

“Her family had the necessary permits to bury her. They bought a casket in town and never collected the body from the morgue. Instead, they took the empty casket to the defaulter’s home for unknown reasons,” Kibe added.

Kibe urged the residents to desist from such actions saying that it is not only shameful but also a threat to order within the community.

“The actions were uncalled for and has caused unnecessary anxiety within the entire village where everything came to a standstill. People have been disturbed psychologically especially the children,” he said.

The chief said that the matter will be investigated and the feuding families reconciled.

Elizabeth Wangui, a resident said that the home had also been locked with a strong chain with those behind the actions remaining unknown.

“No one has yet claimed to have seen those who brought the casket to the home. It happened early morning and the gates remained locked until curious passersby noticed it," said Wangui.

The incident comes barely a day after another man in Subukia was arrested exhuming his father's body who had been interred 14 years ago.