Majority of Kenyans are verbally great politicians. Majority of the 40 million are great at politicizing everything in their daily lives including burial. Everyone wants to have the last say on scheduled burial but few back suggestions with concrete action. Such a stand is meant to enable one to join the “burial committee” and have a chance to steal the money that will be contributed towards the funeral.
It is traditional ritual when an individual dies a prompt burial committee is set up usually in cities or areas of high population and employment where they collect contributions from mourners and well-wishers to help with the burial expenses for the diseased. This committee is usually set up before its members send simple condolence to the close relatives of the diseased. The contribution process take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks with the intention of maximizing contributions and consequently a larger cut for the burial merchants. Some of the Money raised is used towards burial expenses and then the burial merchants get their cut and last, the aggrieved and close relatives of the diseased who usually get what is left if any.
On the burial day, the burial committee is in full attendance in appropriate attire to hoodwink those present paying the dead there last rites. Culturally there are speeches pertaining to the deceased and the most eloquent burial merchants contribute to the eulogy. They never fail to mention that they are representatives of a committee from X city, town or region and their role in the burial ceremony. The obvious intention is to line up for the next burial committee with the same intention “them first and ruminates to the grieved
Astonishingly some members of the burial committee are close relatives to the dead i.e. son, daughter, uncle etc., etc. They do not go home first on learning of the passing of loved one for grieving with relatives and close Family members. Instead they are glued daily onto a table in a hotel or restaurant waiting for burial donations with the intention to use some of the proceeds personally. Death addresses all of us regardless of one’s socioeconomic status and humans experience the death of a close friend or relative with pain and remorse.
In small and big ways Kenyans are corrupt and the burial scenario serves as illustration. Burial procedures and associated ceremony is a micro prism of any society. Kenyans point fingers at each other but refuse to accept personal responsibility that individual behavior as outlined in burial, reflect on society. Individual introspection is needed before pointing at anyone.
Behavior of Kenya’s political elite is reflective of the general society and we should not expect too much from those who are like us. It is useless to talk or write of corrupt politicians before one faces a mirror and see the source of Kenya’s problems. The general elections passed and many of the political faces changed, but it is just faces and more of the same corrupt behavior. These are some questions individual Kenyans have to answer but all Kenyans should work and reflect on self-character before pointing fingers at the corrupt.
