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Confusion As Hundreds Arrive for Anyona Burial
- Details
- Published on Wednesday, 18 July 2007 01:22
Unaware that a court injunction had stopped the ceremony, many travelled from far and wide to bid farewell to Mr Anyona, best remembered as a pioneer campaigner for multi-party politics.
The mourners, some clad in Kisii traditional regalia, mourned Mr Anyona but differed on the decision by his brother to delay the burial.
Among those caught unawares by the court order included Mr Erastus Nyagah, a co-founder of Mr Anyona's Kenya Social Congress.
"I was shocked to arrive here with Mr Anyona's supporters in seven vehicles to find that the burial had been put off," he said.
Scores of other mourners said they had decided to camp at the village until Mr Anyona was buried.
Mr Anyona's political associates, led by Mr Njeru Kathangu, said they had spent over Sh1 million in escorting the body from Nairobi.
"We spent the money in hiring two choppers that ferried the body home and other expenses," he said as he regretted having failed to bury his long-time political ally.
The court injunction was obtained by Mr Anyona's elder brother, Mr Stephenson Mageto, who has sued officials of a women's group. He said he expected to meet the group's top officials to establish the whereabouts of Sh1.3 million raised by Mr Anyona and other leaders three years ago.
A retired magistrate termed the move to take the body back to the mortuary from his newly built house as strange.
Mr Nyangena Kingoina said it would be taboo to return the body to the house. "To do so, the family and those who removed it must be cleansed, he said.
Mr Kingoina warned of a curse on Mr Anyona's kinsmen if he was buried without the ritual being performed.
Mr Mageto said the former legislator's incomplete house would be complete in the next four days ready for burial any time.
