NAIJ.com gathered that a man who prepared for his funeral by digging his own grave and naming his wishes for his burial over 38 years ago, has been buried.
According to reports, the man identified as Stanley Muriuki Njuki, made plans for his funeral including digging his own grave in 1979, 38 years before he eventually died.
Muriuki who was from the Karogoto village in Nyeri County, Kenya, had asked that he be dressed in a woollen suit when he is laid in state, and that he be buried in a mahogany casket.
Late Muriuki who was known as 'mighty lawyer' while he lived, was said to have gone as far as even writing an epitaph (in loving memory of...) for himself, and had also constructed a mortuary where he asked his family members to keep him in for 8 days before burial.
Mr Stanley Muriuki prepared for his funeral in 1979. Photo: sde.co.ke
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He had also gone ahead to leave small details asking for his body to be placed on a sawdust and charcoal slab, with some local herbs hanging from the room. He also asked that his children come in at intervals, just to pour cold water on him while he's on the slab, instead of embalming him.
They were also supposed to guard his body round the clock, so that rats wouldn't attempt to eat it.
One of the deceased's sons, Charles, said:
“As a child, I did not understand why he dug the grave, but as I grew up, I realised that it was important to him and eventually, came to accept the grave as part of our lives. He said that I should make sure there is someone with his body throughout the day, so that the rats don’t bite his nose or ears while he is dead."
The grave dug by Muriuki in 1979. Photo: sde.co.ke
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Charles said they couldn't afford to bury him in a mahogany casket like he wanted. He said:
“I found out that a mahogany casket costs more than Sh50,000 which is more than I can afford, so I bought an ordinary casket and purchased four pieces of mahogany wood to line the inside of the coffin. We had to work around his wishes because we have little choice but cannot afford it all considering the time constraint."
Muriuki had also reportedly asked that he shouldn't be taken to a hospital if he fell sick, “My father was clear, that we should never take him to hospital if he fell ill or to allow a medical doctor to examine him,” Charles said.
Neighbours also described Muriuki as a 'stubborn man'. One said:
“I remember about eight years ago, he was hit by a speeding motorbike and we immediately tried to rush him to hospital but halfway there, he demanded to be taken back to his house, insisting he was fine. We had no choice but to bring him home despite his injuries.”
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Another neighbour identified as Johnson Thairu, said:
“I once asked him why he decided to prepare his grave and he told me that it was important to ensure his family was not bothered by expenses that come with funerals. The Ministry of Health and the local administration asked the family to either bury the body within three days or transfer his body to a hospital mortuary. The family had no choice but to bury him a day after his death."
Late Muriuki was said to have told journalists in 2012, that he would love to be buried like the Pharoahs of Egypt. He was said to have written, “The Lord is my shepherd" and “This is the last resting place of Stanley Muriuki Njuki" on his tombstone.
Meanwhile, see this video of the burial of late Nollywood actress, Moji Olaiya: