CULT-LIKE FUNERAL RITUALS TRAUMATISE FAMILY AS BODA RIDERS HIJACK SON’S BURIAL IN KANGUNDO

A grieving family in Masewani Village, Kangundo Sub-county, is struggling to come to terms with the traumatic ordeal they endured during the burial of their 24-year-old son, Leonard Mutua Muema, popularly known as Mapetco.

What was expected to be a solemn and respectful send-off turned into chaos when a large group of boda boda riders and youths forcefully took over the funeral on Saturday. Muema had died in a tragic head-on motorcycle crash at Kathithyamaa Bridge, where both riders perished on the spot.

The drama began nearly 50 kilometres away from the family home as the funeral procession left a Machakos mortuary. The convoy, led by rowdy riders, blocked both lanes of the road and made an unplanned stop at the accident scene, where bizarre rituals were performed.

Upon arrival in Masewani, things quickly spiralled out of control. According to the family’s secretary, Mathew Munyaka, the youths blared music, disrupted the programme, and insisted on offering beer and bhang to the deceased as part of their own farewell rites.

“They threw out the clergy, played loud music, opened the casket and placed drugs and alcohol inside. It was deeply disrespectful,” Munyaka lamented.

Area Assistant Chief Consolata Ndunge confirmed that over 3,000 youths dominated the funeral and barred both the family and pastors from conducting final rites. “They took over the burial and performed rituals that shocked everyone present. This kind of behaviour will not be tolerated again,” she said.

Muema’s father, Eric Muema, painfully recounted how the boda boda riders refused to place the casket on a table or trolley and instead carried it on their shoulders to the grave. The family, including the elderly and young children, was forced to retreat to their house and watch from a distance as strangers buried their son.

“In all my 50 years, I have never seen anything like this. We were humiliated and denied the chance to give our son a proper farewell,” he said.

Pastor Stephen Kilisa, who had accompanied the family from the mortuary, described the experience as chaotic and disturbing. “The youths ignored every request. Once the MC announced it was time to lower the casket, they took over and silenced everyone.”

Zenna Kambua, Muema’s elder sister, could not hold back tears as she narrated how the family missed out on their final goodbye. “We didn’t even see how the burial ended. We were just pushed away.”

Matungulu MP Stephen Mule also condemned the incident, calling it un-African and un-Christian. He urged authorities to take stern action to prevent similar incidents in future.

The family is now calling on the government and local administrators to investigate and put an end to such disruptions, saying they only add pain to already grieving families.