Police in Buuri, Meru County have arrested a 76-year-old man after he allegedly exhumed the remains of his late wife so as to sell part of his land.
The bizarre incident happened on Tuesday at Mumero village after an interested buyer insisted he could not purchase the plot of land with a grave on it.
Kithithina Location Senior Chief Lucy Mutwiri said he was informed by villagers about the shocking incident and visited the homestead located along the Nanyuki-Timau road.
“I was informed by a neighbour and when I visited the homestead at around 4 pm, I saw the grave had been disturbed and there was a freshly dug one a few metres away. Such a thing has never happened again in my locality and I made a report at the Buuri Police Station leading to the arrest of the suspect,” said Ms Mutwiri.
The chief added that the suspect wanted to sell part of his half-acre piece of ancestral land and that he sought help from his grandchildren in moving the grave to the new site but on the same land. The wife died in 2021.
Buuri West Sub-County Directorate of Criminal Investigations Officer (DCI) Joseph Wambua confirmed they were holding the suspect and was being processed to be arraigned before court.
Mr Phenius Mwirigi, an area resident condemned the incident saying greed for money should never drive someone to disturb the resting spirits of a close relative.
“We are so shocked by this incident and would appeal to the court not to be lenient with the suspect. This is the only way to discourage others who could be harbouring similar ideas,” said Mr Mwirigi.
Another resident Mr Dennis Gitonga while condemning the incident said he witnessed three young men digging at the gravesite of their grandmother and later digging another shallow grave to transfer the remains.
But the chief was alerted before the culprits could finish the mission.
