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Confusion as late gospel artiste Rachel Wandeto’s burial fails to take place
29th May, 2026 11:35 AM
Mourners who gathered in Kirinyaga County to give the late gospel artist Rachel Muthoni Wandeto a final send-off were left in disbelief after her burial failed to take place.
The ceremony, scheduled for May 28, 2026, was called off at the eleventh hour following a sharp disagreement over her final resting place.
The body of the musician was not released from the mortuary, leaving hundreds of friends, relatives, and local leaders stranded.
Standoff at the mortuary
Hundreds of people had gathered at Kerugoya Stadium and later at Kabumbu Village in Kirinyaga Central Constituency, waiting for the body to arrive from Montezuma Funeral Home in Kabati.
However, the programme came to a sudden halt when the funeral committee announced that they could not collect the body due to an unresolved dispute.
In a clip seen by K24 Digital, the family spokesperson, Joseph Githinji Kimaru, explained that they were informed of a hitch when they went to pick up her remains.
The announcement caused immediate confusion among residents who had been waiting at the venue since morning.
The twist caught the gathering by surprise since extensive funeral arrangements had already been completed. A grave had been dug, food prepared, and a coffin purchased.
Following her death, President William Ruto sent Sh1.6 million to assist the family with the burial expenses. Kirinyaga Central MP Gachoki Gitari, Kiambu Woman Representative Anne Wamuratha, and Kelvin Kogi delivered the cash.
Committee officials noted that both sides had previously agreed on the arrangements, making the sudden standoff unexpected.
Row over final resting place
The conflict centres on a dispute between Wandeto’s family and her husband, Peter Njaramba Njeri, regarding where she should be laid to rest.
While her family wanted her buried in Kirinyaga, reports indicate the husband wanted the interment to happen in Murang’a County. The singer’s family claimed they did not recognise the union, stating that traditional customs had not been fulfilled.
Wandeto passed away in mid-May 2026 while receiving treatment at Kenyatta National Hospital.
She had suffered 70 per cent burns after a petrol attack by unknown attackers in the Mwiki area of Kasarani, Nairobi. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations’ Homicide Directorate is currently probing the murder.
The artist had recently made headlines across the country after getting a tattoo of President Ruto. Her body remains at the mortuary until the dispute is resolved.
