A family in Kirinyaga County was left heartbroken after a burial ceremony for their loved one was abruptly stopped by a court order, forcing them to bury a banana stem instead — a symbolic act rooted in Kikuyu tradition.
The family of the late Beatrice Nyambura, 46, had completed all funeral arrangements, including digging the grave and preparing food for mourners, when they were served with a court injunction halting the burial.
Nyambura, a mother of three, was set to be laid to rest at the home of her estranged husband, Stephano Muriithi, despite the couple having been separated for nearly two decades.
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Both families had reportedly reached a mutual agreement for her to be buried there before the legal twist emerged.
According to her brother, Pastor Pius Njogu, of the Full Gospel Church, preparations had been ongoing for over a week, involving family members, church leaders, and community elders.
“We were already at the mortuary ready to pick up the body when we were served with the court order. It completely disrupted everything,” said Njogu.
The Baricho Law Courts issued an injunction prohibiting the removal, burial, or disposal of the body until a dispute concerning Nyambura’s final resting place is resolved.
Sources indicate the court intervention was prompted by representatives from Muriithi’s side of the family, reportedly tied to an unresolved dowry disagreement.
The shocking turn of events left mourners who had travelled from Ngurubani and neighbouring areas devastated. The grave had been dug, food was ready, and local women’s groups had gathered for the ceremony when the burial was called off.
With no body to bury and no clear timeline from the court, the family resorted to a symbolic burial, laying a banana stem in the grave. In Kikuyu tradition, this act acknowledges the deceased and is believed to help prevent spiritual unrest when a burial cannot take place as planned.
“It was painful, but we had no choice. We couldn’t leave the grave open after all the preparations,” Njogu added.
The body of Beatrice Nyambura remains at Kibugi Funeral Home in Kutus as the family awaits further court directions on when the burial can proceed.