Rituals performed to exhume body after family 'buried' kin in Kisii, then he resurfaced in Nairobi

The body of a man who was wrongfully buried in Nyamache area of Kisii County has been exhumed and rituals performed in the homestead to allow a family member who the deceased was mistaken for, to return home.

The family of Meshack Ondabu, who was arrested in Nairobi’s South B area for flaunting traffic rules, buried a man after missing their kin who was at Industrial Area Prison for 40 days.

After his release, Ondabu was barred from visiting his rural home to see his supposed grave until all the Abagusii rituals were performed.

The area Chief and police officers supervised the exhumation of the unknown body that has been in the grave for the last two months.

Ondabu’s uncle Nyakwara Riruma said: “Ni shughuli ambayo ilianza mwendo wa saa tisa asubuhi, hii kazi imefanyika sana, tunashukuru vijana kufukua mwili.”

Traditional rituals were performed by Abagusii elders to cleanse the homestead before the return of their son.

According to the community’s tradition, Ondabu must never step in the homestead before the body is removed and the grave sealed.

A sheep was slaughtered to enable the family member return to his home; it’s intestines were buried in the empty grave, after which the police took the body using a body bag and the coffin was burnt.

According to the elders, Ondabu is now ready to go back home, but he will have to start life afresh; slaughtering will be done to celebrate his return.

“Yule kijana tulimdhania amekufa sasa atakuja ndio tumfanyie sherehe kubwa, tuko na mpangilio sasa ya kujenga nyumba ingine...vile tuliwaambia awali, hawezi ingia kwa hii nyumba na vyombo yote ilikuwa ndani imechomwa,” added Riruma.

The body that had been buried has since been brought back to Nairobi's City Mortuary.