A court clerk accused of refusing to bury his son on family land at Gitumbi village in Kirinyaga County was burned to death by a angry mob on Friday night. Stanley Mureithi Muriuki, 45, was based in Murang’a County.
His 18-year old son is said to have died of suicide for unknown reasons and Muriuki is said to have angered the residents when he told the burial committee that interment would not be on his land.
The residents insisted on their plan so a quarrel ensued, with Muriuki saying the body would be exhumed if buried on his land, prompting the villagers to descend on him and set his house on fire.
The residents accused the clerk of abandoning his son after chasing away his wife.
“Muriuki hated his son and never provided for him. When his son killed himself, he openly vowed to block residents and relatives from burying him on family land. This angered the people,” one resident was quoted.
“The child who [killed] himself was the first wife’s. Residents knew he hated his son so when he told them he would not permit his burial on the land, they went berserk,” a relative said.
Police arrived at the scene and took the body to Kerugoya Level Five Hospital mortuary.
