- What should have been a final goodbye turned into a haunting silence after Rachel Wandeto’s family gathered for a burial without her body
- A hearse arrived at the grounds empty, carrying grief, confusion, and a family still locked in a painful dispute over her final resting place
- With Wandeto’s husband having disappeared with her burial permit, mourners were left to mourn a farewell that never truly came
In a deeply emotional and unusual turn of events, the family of the late Rachel Wandeto proceeded with her burial ceremony in Kerugoya on Thursday, May 28.
Source: Facebook
They made the unpopular decision after failing to secure her body from Montezuma Monalisa Funeral Home, leaving mourners grappling with grief, confusion and unresolved tensions.
What was expected to be a final farewell instead unfolded into a symbolic and painful ceremony, as the hearse arrived at the burial venue without a coffin.
The vehicle, which had earlier left the morgue in Nairobi, proceeded to Kerugoya Stadium carrying only close relatives and sombre silence, marking a funeral stripped of the physical presence of the deceased.
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Rachel had become widely known on social media for her outspoken personality and a tattoo referencing President William Ruto and his popular “tutam” slogan.
However, the Kasarani-based woman’s life was cut short just over a week ago in a petrol attack allegedly linked to her political views.
Her death had already stirred public debate and emotion online, with calls for justice and restraint in political expression.
Even before the burial could take place, a bitter dispute between her immediate family and her husband complicated the process.
On the morning of the burial, relatives arrived at the funeral home to collect her body but were unable to do so after failing to produce the required documentation for release.
At the centre of the impasse was the burial permit, which is alleged to be in the possession of Rachel’s husband.
The husband, who has publicly claimed he was sidelined in burial arrangements, had earlier expressed frustration that Rachel’s relatives had not visited the children since her death.
He insisted he had the right to bury her, citing their 14-year marriage and two children together, a position echoed by his family in earlier statements, saying:
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“They are denying my brother the chance to bury his wife, yet they had a 14-year marriage. The family said he had not completed paying the dowry.”
As the disagreement dragged on, the body remained at the funeral home, forcing the bereaved relatives to make a painful decision to proceed with a burial ceremony without the remains.
By the time the ceremony began in Kerugoya, the atmosphere was one of visible anguish and disbelief.
Mourners gathered to pay their respects in an emotionally charged event that lacked the traditional closure of viewing or lowering the coffin.
Despite the absence of the body, the family maintained that the ceremony was necessary to honour Rachel’s life and to allow the community to mourn together, even as efforts to resolve the dispute over the remains continued behind the scenes.
The tragedy has been compounded by earlier reports that President William Ruto contributed KSh 1.6 million towards funeral arrangements.
On Sunday, May 24, a delegation of UDA leaders visited the family in Kerugoya, conveying condolences and condemning the violence that led to Rachel’s death, while also pledging support for her burial.
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As the family seeks closure under extraordinary circumstances, the unresolved question of Rachel Wandeto’s final resting place continues to cast a long shadow over what should have been a moment of farewell.
Source: NGBREAKINGNEWS
