Having finally acquired land, Hannah Njeri Kamau successfully petitioned the Nakuru High Court for permission to exhume her son's remains.
Twenty years ago, Ms Hannah Njeri Kamau buried her son in a public cemetery against her wishes. She was left unsettled and knew she had to do something.
A strong believer in Gikuyu cultural norms, she vowed to stop at nothing to ensure that her son was buried in accordance with tradition.
At the time of the burial, the family did not own land, so it became her sole mission to acquire some.
A mother's vow
After her determination finally paid off, Ms Kamau took the next step of having her son's remains relocated for interment at the family graveyard.
She filed an application with the court for intervention, persuading them to allow her to exhume her son's remains from the public morgue in Langalanga and bury them on her land in Bahati.
In her application, filed on January 13th, Ms Njeri requested the court's intervention in the exhumation and relocation of the remains.
She stated that she wished to bury her son in accordance with Gikuyu cultural traditions.
According to this culture, a deceased person should be buried on family land, as this symbolises unity and continuity of the lineage.
She noted that the family did not own any land at the time of his burial in 2005, which is why he was buried in a public cemetery.
'I am aware of the need to comply with public health regulations, and I undertake to liaise with the medical officer of Nakuru County to ensure that all procedures are carried out lawfully and safely,' stated Ms Njeri.
Burial relocation
By the time of his death and burial on July 15, 2005, the son was eight years old.
On May 7, Nakuru High Court judge Julius Nangea issued orders authorising the Nakuru County Medical Officer to facilitate the exhumation of Ms Njeri’s son in strict adherence to public health regulations.
"The court orders the medical officer to authorise the exhumation of the body of Samuel Mbatiah Kamau, buried on 15 July 2005 in Block Q, Grave No. 33 in the Nakuru County Municipal Council burial section, Langa Langa, Nakuru County,” the judge ruled.
He ordered that the remains be relocated for re-interment in the family graveyard on the family's land in Bahati.
