Residents shocked as court stops burial of 108-year-old woman in Kiambu

Family members and friends of a 108-year-old woman in Riabai village in Kiambu County were shocked after a court issued orders stopping her burial.

One of the family members had obtained a court order suspending the burial until a land dispute was resolved.

The court order was presented at the last minute on Wednesday February 14, after all burial arrangements were complete.

The family of the late Serah Mbaire Nganga had finalized all preparations for her sendoff before a lady married to one of her sons produced the court order.

The petitioner had argued that the granny was not supposed to be buried on the land according to a will written by her husband.

However, Mbaire’s second born son Ndung’u Nganga noted that it was very sad and painful for the court to stop the burial on the family’s ancestral land.

Ndungu said other family members were shocked to learn that subdivision of the land came later without their knowledge, something he said his late father did not mention to them.

He added that his father was too old when he died and there was no way he could write a will and if he did, they were not informed.

The family members termed the will as fake, insisting that there were no intentions of discriminating against Mbaire after her death.

According to Ndung’u, they had spent a lot of money in preparations to give their mother a decent sendoff.

Anastasiah Wanjiru, a granddaughter said it’s very painful to experience frustrations during the funeral of their beloved grandmother whom they took care of at her old age.

She however noted that her grandma was married according to Kikuyu tradition.

On the other hand, chairman of the burial committee Njuguna Wainaina said that when Mbaire’s demise was announced they started their meetings without any challenges until the final day.

Wainaina noted that he was shocked when he learnt at the last minute that there was a court order barring the burial over a land dispute and a will.

He said such incidents should not be allowed and action should be taken against the person who obtained the court order to frustrate mourners and other family members.