Body of Man Detained in Morgue for Five Months Buried

Embu,

Monday, October 16, 2023

KNA by Samuel Waititu

There were mixed emotions of grief and joy for a family from Kubugu Location in Manyatta Constituency, Embu, when they finally managed to bury their kin, whose body had been detained in the mortuary for close to five months over hospital bill of Sh. 444,000. 

David Mathenge, 72, died on June 20 after battling throat cancer for months and his body was detained at Kenyatta University Mortuary after the family failed to pay the hospital bill that led to the remains being detained.

Family members could not hide their joy amid the feeling of loss when the body finally arrived home for the final rites on Saturday after the intervention of well-wishers including boda boda operators from Embu led by their patron Ken Java Mwaniki, who helped to raise Sh. 450,000 to offset the bill.

The deceased’s wife, Elizabeth Marigu said though it has been an agonizing period since his demise, she was happy that they were finally able to lay him to rest and have closure.

" None of us cried during the viewing of his body because we mourned long enough and all we wanted was to accord him a dignified burial," she said.

She eulogized the diseased as a good person, saying he did not deserve such treatment, but acknowledged efforts by boda boda operators to assist in burying him.

Other mourners who spoke during the burial said it was unfortunate that the body could not be buried due to huge hospital bills, saying it only served to inflict more pain on the affected family.

Area (Manyatta) MP Gitonga Mukunji who attended the burial promised to push a bill in Parliament to outlaw detention of patients and corpses in hospitals and mortuaries over unpaid bills.

He said, "It is the highest level of disrespect to our culture and I will sponsor a bill barring detainment of bodies for more than a month."

Courtesy; KNA