Very Grave Matters! Village Buries Loved Ones In Ksh.50 Sacks!

In many African cultural beliefs, the dead are held in high esteem and must be given a befitting send-off. A funeral in Africa typically holds an expensive funeral, characterized with a great attendance, with people being treated to delicacies.

However, a remote village in Kirinyaga, in Kenya, has resorted to bury their loved ones in KSh 50 Sacks, saying they can't afford coffins! The residents of Ndindiruku in Tebere ward, Kirinyaga county, said sacks had become the affordable option for burying the dead.

Peter Ngugi, a resident, said, "We only buy a sack for KSh 50 and bury the person, and it takes us only 20 minutes."

The residents said coffins had become expensive to afford. Some of the villagers explained that they had been forced to bury their loved ones in sacks due to the high burial expenses. They affirmed that this practice had totally made burials easy and convenient since it took a very short time to do so.

"For us in Ndindiruku, it's normal to be buried in sacks for those who have not joined burial welfare groups; the other day it took me 10 minutes to bury an elderly man after his family failed to meet burial expenses," a resident said.

David Ngugi of Akorino has however slammed the residents for this practice, urging them to bury dead bodies with respect. "I came here to witness what I was told by the villagers after the MCA intervened," David said.

One Njeru Ndiga was going to be buried in a sack before Tebere MCA-elect Peter Karinga intervened. He opted to buy a coffin for the young lady who died after a crocodile attack.

The MCA-elect also encouraged the villagers to join burial welfare groups to give loved ones proper burials to ensure they are handled with the respect and dignity it deserves. "Dead people must be handled with dignity and respect," Karinga said.