Mwenda, a 20-year-old miraa picker, was mistakenly buried on October 4 after his family misidentified a body found in a house he once shared with his estranged wife in Mutuati market, as reported by the Nation.
“Since my work is picking miraa, I move from one place to another and I am rarely at home. I’m shocked to find that my family buried me,” said Mwenda in dismay.
Mwenda, who had separated from his wife and moved to Nthanbiro, 20 kilometers away, returned to discover his family had mistakenly buried him. Shocked, Mwenda explained his transient lifestyle as a miraa picker keeps him away from home.
Interestingly, a colleague mentioned they had passed by his home during the burial. The grave, located by Mutuati-Antubetwe Kiongo Road, is visible from the tarmac.
“We left Nthambiro in Igembe Central on Friday and travelled to another farm in Mutuati. We passed by Mwenda’s home and he wondered why there were so many people at his home but we proceeded.”
“On Sunday, as we were packaging miraa, someone broke the news that Mwenda had been buried yet he was alive. Mwenda was so shocked that he could not work. He went to sleep,” the colleague recounted.
After recovering from the shock, Mwenda went home to verify the bizarre news of his burial.
When the Nation visited on Tuesday, they found an atmosphere of grief and despair. The fresh grave, with an arrowroot plant thriving, drew locals who hoped the police had come to exhume the body.
Mwenda’s father, Meeme M’Nchebere, a resident of Voi, was found asleep after spending the night guarding the grave.
“We have been given strict instructions to ensure the body is not stolen. The police said the matter is sensitive since the deceased was murdered. I have to keep vigil throughout the night,” he said.
M’Nchebere revealed that his son had to flee the village because he couldn’t bear seeing a grave with his name. He admitted they mistakenly buried the wrong body because he was unable to view it before the burial.
“I live in Voi where I relocated more than 10 years ago. Mwenda was left behind in Meru. Recently, I received a call from neighbors who told me my son was dead. As a Muslim, I am not allowed to view a dead body. So we proceeded with the burial,” he recounted.
Mwenda’s father stated that the police informed him he needed to raise KSh 70,000 ($542) to cover the costs of obtaining a court order, a pathologist, and the exhumation of the wrongly buried body.
“I am a small trader in VOi and cannot raise the money the police want to exhume the body. I am currently surviving on well-wishes in the village. Neighbors are hesitant to help fundraise because they contributed to the botched burial,” he said.
M’Nchebere is now in a difficult situation, unable to return to his family in Voi or expedite the exhumation of the wrongly buried body. He faces the challenge of navigating both family tensions and legal hurdles.
