Family pleads for waiver of 6 year morgue fees

A family in Ruiri/Rwarera Ward in Buuri Sub County of Meru County is appealing for a waiver of a mortuary bill so that they could bury their loved one who has been in the mortuary for the last six years.
They say the body of Samuel Mutia has been lying at Meru Level Five morgue owing to land tussles that had remained in court for the years.
According to the deceased’s daughter Judith Kanugu, her father fell sick and died in 2013 but the family was denied the right to bury him in their only two acre piece of land after someone came out purporting to have bought the piece from the deceased.
Ms. Kanugu revealed that they were not aware of any land sale transaction between the said person and their late father which prompted their family to move to court.
She said the case was concluded in January 2019 at Meru Law Courts and it was ruled in their favour but their move to have her father buried has been scuttled by the escalating morgue fee currently standing at over Sh1million.
“Our efforts to bury our deceased father here at Ika Ijili village have borne no fruits since we have to raise a total of Sh1, 481, 600 which is beyond our means,” she said.
The widow, Esther Rigeria, says she had been living with her husband and children before he passed on.
“We are in pain since we can’t lay him to rest on his piece of land for all these years,” she lamented.
Neighbours and friends said they have tried all their best in raising funds to enable the family bury their dead but it has proven futile due to their poverty levels.
The family and neighbours are now appealing to Meru County government to intervene so that they could bury their loved one and avoid the pilling up of the bill.
By Kelvin Nkrumah/Richard Muhambe