A contentious legal battle has erupted between two families over the burial rights of a 100-year-old former civil servant, Silas Kamuta Igweta. The deceased, whose body has been in the mortuary for two weeks, was set to be buried on Thursday, February 22, but the burial was postponed due to the dispute.
The dispute revolves around Igweta’s two wives, Susan Kathambi and Grace Rigiri, both asserting their rights to bury him. Kathambi, Igweta’s second wife, claims they were lawfully married in 1957 and has filed a counterclaim seeking to prevent Rigiri from burying the deceased at her Meru home.
On the other hand, Rigiri obtained court orders barring Kathambi from burying Igweta at their shared residence. Rigiri contends that Kathambi had not been living with Igweta for over 40 years, asserting that the deceased should be buried at her home, where he resided until his demise.
Kathambi and her daughter argue that they have been the primary caregivers for Igweta and have spent over KSh 5.8 million on his care. They accuse Rigiri’s family of neglecting Igweta’s needs and only appearing after his death.
Addressing the legal intricacies of marriage vows, Kathambi’s lawyer, Danstan Omari, emphasized that the union between Rigiri and Igweta ceased upon his death, citing the traditional vow, “till death do us part.” Omari argued that the first family has no legitimate claim over Igweta’s burial rights.
The case is scheduled for further hearing on Wednesday, February 28, as tensions run high between the two families.