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No Stopping Anyona Burial, Court Orders
- Details
- Published on Tuesday, 17 July 2007 23:56
Principal magistrate Samuel Soita granted Mr Anyona's widow and son orders stopping Mr Stephenson Mageto or any of his family members or servants from interfering with the burial.
Mrs Anyona and her son, Kwame, moved to a Kisii court where they obtained the order which also directed Nyamira police boss to provide security throughout the ceremony.
Mr Anyona will be buried at Gatuta Village, five kilometres from Tombe trading centre in Kisii District.
Mrs Anyona's lawyer, Mr Cyrus Minda, said the widow had suffered psychological torture due to the protracted delay in the burial.
He told the court that Mr Mageto's refusal to participate in the burial arrangements had caused apprehension of possible chaos.
He also said that Mr Mageto, an Electoral Commission of Kenya commissioner, had no locus standi to decide on Anyona's burial "even though he had moved to court in the first place and an acquired illegal injunction which were however later quashed."
Mrs Anyona said she wanted her husband buried, fearing the continued rise in mortuary fees.
The former Kitutu Masaba MP's body has been lying at Nyangena mortuary in Kisii since Mr Mageto took it there last December after blocking initial burial plans. Yesterday, Mr Mageto said he would not participate in the burial. He claimed curses were likely to befall those who participated if Mr Anyona's house would not have been cleansed.
"We had all as a family agreed that Anyona be buried after some Gusii customary rituals have been performed. But if Mrs Anyona wants to go ahead alone, that is now upon her," he said. He accused her of going against a joint family resolution that two burial committees be revived to coordinate the funeral.
Mr Mageto said his siblings would not take part in the ceremony unless the house was cleansed "which will see Anyona buried at least a week after the proposed June 13 date."
"There is no need for anybody to panic. We all want Anyona buried without any disruption but after we have been allowed to perform some rituals," he said.
On Tuesday, Mrs Anyona and her son sought security from Nyamira district commissioner, Mr Jamleck Baruga.
The two said they feared chaos would erupt during the Sunday burial.
Yesterday, the DC pledged to provide security prior to and during the burial.
