Why the burial of this 23-year-old Kenyan TikTok star shock the country

Burial ceremony na time for sombre reflection for family and friends but for dis social media era, wia di deceased fit don share intimate details about dia life to plenti pipo wey don become fans, fans wey feel say dem somehow know dem fit get different ideas.

For Kenya, normally burial for a 23-year-old orphaned man probably go dey attended by pipo wey bin dey close to am.

But dis no be di case for TikToker Brian Chira wey die two weeks ago for road accident, near di capital, Nairobi.

In one year im followers rise to more than 400,000. Im dey natural, Im funny videos wey im dey deliver straight to camera dey address social and relationship issues, di video dey funny, sometimes e dey shock many pipo.

Im fans – wey dey call demselves “Chira Clan” – bin wan pay tribute to am afta e tragically die young. Dem help to contribute to one funeral fund, wey raise ova $60,000 (£48,000) for di burial, di moni shock di organisers.

But Chira family and neighbours still dey in shock afta thousands of dem full im burial wey take place for one remote village, for Gitei, for central Kenya.

Tori be say di initial plan for Tuesday event na for 500 pipo but di number of attendees swell to more dan 5,000.

Massive and unruly

“Na just random TikTokers, nobodi really mobilise dem. We actually tink say dem bin dey attend anoda burial for di neighbourhood,” one of di event organisers, Chira friend Faustine Lukale tell BBC. Lukale also dey known as Baba Talisha for social media, wia imsef get plenti followers for im photography.

Im say dem quickly organise more tents and seats for di big crowd of mourners.

Although dem praise di youths for making di funeral possible, some of dem bin misbehave.

Di villagers say dem neva see dis kain big and unruly crowd of young pipo, some of dem bin drunk.

Religious figures bin no even get opportunity to lead di burial service as some bin push oda mourners comot for road to live stream, or record videos and take selfies around Chira gravesite, local media report.

Videos and fotos of di burial full social media.

Dis kain crowd of young pipo dey rare even during political campaigns for Kenya.

Chira na still trending topic for Kenya wit ova 7,000 posts on X , days afta im burial.

Di TikToker blow for December 2022 wen one local TV station bin interview am as one road accident witness. For di viral interview, Chira eloquence for English and im engaging personality capture di attention of viewers.

Im capitalise on di sudden exposure to build a huge online presence.

Chira wey lose im parents wen im dey small bin need to drop out of university sake of lack of fees. Im grandmother Esther Njeri say she begin take care of Chira at di age of eight afta im mama die.

Arrested & charged

Chira later reveal for one radio interview say im dey HIV positive, E say di HIV mata drive am to alcohol abuse and lead am to fall into depression.

Im life struggle partly make am to succeed as a content creator as im bin dey use im platform to share im personal experiences wit honesty.

But as ambitious TikToker, Chira no be stranger to controversy and im online outbursts often dey land am for trouble. For August last year, im chop arrest and dem charge am for cyber-harassment against one fellow TikToker.

Im bin also wear women clothes for some videos, wey vex pipo.

On di night of 16 March, dem find im bodi for one road afta lorry hit am and den speed off sped for Kiambu county – about 16 km (10 miles) from Nairobi.

Police say dem still dey look for di driver.

Wen im die, im TikTok community rally togeda and on di day of di funeral dem arrive for hired buses, some in commemorative T-shirts and hoodies.

But di crowd deny di family and villagers opportunity to bury Chira wit dignity, according to di organisers.

“We no like di way dem dress, smoke and drink alcohol in front of us. Dem no even respect di clergy,” na so one villager tell Nation news website.

Anoda villager say she dey sad by di use of offensive words during di burial.

Chira bin dey buried next to im great-grandfather, and di villagers watch as di content creators step on di graves, dis dey against local Kikuyu community traditions.

A few police officers bin dey dia to control di crowd but di crowd pass dia power so dem watch from a distance as some pipo push diasef to take selfies for di gravesite.

“I gatz carry Chira grandmother comot even bifor di end of di burial,” Lukale tok.

“Even afta di burial no TikToker come meet di family to say sorry for di loss, Chira grandmother bin dey really disappointed,” Im add.

Afta di burial, dem see some pipo dey pour alcohol for di flowers for Chira gravesite, wey shock religious leaders and villagers well- well.

About $6,000 na im dem use for di burial expenses and anoda unspecified amount na im dem use pay for repairs and damages wey di TikTokers cause during di event.

Dem give di family di remaining moni – some of di money na to construct or buy house for Chira grandmother.

But critics say di TikTokers bin abandon Chira wen im dey struggle during im life struggles only for dem to celebrate like dis wen im die.