Murang’a residents forced to bury banana trunk after 50-year-old man’s interment was cancelled due to family dispute

The burial of a 50-year-old man from Njunu in Gatanga Murang’a failed to take place as planned due to a family dispute.

Samuel Nduati, reportedly died last week after being in hospital for about one year but his children rushed to court seeking an order to bar his second wife from burying him.

They claimed not to have been involved in the burial plans and also wanted their father’s property shared equally between the two families.

Mary Nyambura, daughter to the deceased said that for one year that their father was in hospital, they were never told what was ailing him and even after death it was not disclosed.

She said it was wrong for their stepmother not to involve them in the planning of the burial saying this was denying them their right.

“We don’t know what killed our father and we want everything put to light before we can bury him,” she said.

Nyambura said their mother who is the first wife had three children and their stepmother also has three children and each child should get an equal share of their father’s property.

Wilson Gakunyi, Nyambura’s sisters said they fear losing everything to their stepmother hence the move to seek legal redress.

He said he just completed his secondary school education but he is uncertain of advancing his education after the death of his father.

“We are just seeking help to get what is rightfully ours as an inheritance from our father,” he said.

With the grave already dug, the residents had to fill it up with soil and plant a banana as it is with the Kikuyu customs.

When sought for comments, the second wife said she had no ill intentions with the first family and that she was just playing her role as Nduati’s wife.

She said the demands by the stepchildren are not realistic because sharing of property has to be done after succession.

“I plead with the children to let us bury their father and other issues shall be addressed later,” she said.

“I have no intention of taking anything away from them as they are claiming because they are entitled to get a share of their father’s inheritance” she added.