A witness in a high-profile burial dispute testified in court, stating that the late James Mburu, father of Kiambu County Deputy Governor Rosemary Njeri Kirika, originally lived in Gatanga, Murang’a County, before shifting to Gilgil, Nakuru County.
Kang’ethe Mburu, a nephew of the deceased, testified before trial Magistrate Gitonga, stating that his uncle was married to his first wife, Philis, and lived in Gatanga.
He further reported that Mburu’s second wife, Magdalene, later relocated abroad, while Mburu continued to live with his first family in Gatanga.
He also confirmed that Magdalene’s residence in Gatanga is still intact.
Another witness, Wanderi Macharia, an Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) official, informed court that, although being a practicing Anglican, Mburu followed some cultural customs. However, despite occasionally driving him to Murang’a, the deceased never spoke to him about having another family in Gatanga.
During prior sessions, three traditional elders from the Agikuyu Council of Elders testified, claiming that burying Mburu in Gilgil would violate Kikuyu cultural traditions.
Traditional experts Moses Muhia Maina and Patrick Kiguta Kimani informed the court that, traditionally, an Agikuyu man should be buried at his first wife’s homestead on ancestral land, with the eldest son responsible for approving the burial site.
Based on these customs, they asserted that Gatanga was the rightful place for Mburu’s burial.
The elders also cautioned that disregarding these traditions could bring irreversible misfortunes upon the family, emphasizing the importance of following cultural practices.
