Drama as curse fears drive family to bury grandpa next to a live calf

Shock and disbelief gripped a village in Murang’a on Thursday after a man’s body and a live calf were buried next to each other ‘to avoid a curse’ to the bereaved family.
The eight-month female calf was interred at Gikomora Village in Maragua hours before the body of 84-year-old Elisha Mugucia Wang’era was buried next to it.

The visibly frustrated family members and villagers said they did so to comply with Mzee Wang’era’s orders.

They said the old man had directed that a cow, which his elder sister Mariamu Wanjiru had ‘refused’ to give him as dowry, be buried next to his body.

According to the family, Ms Wanjiru owed Mzee Wang’era one cow that he was supposed to receive on behalf of their late father Tiras Wang’era Mugucia.

Dowry payment

They said the woman was supposed to deliver the cow to complete her dowry payment, which according to Kikuyu traditions is supposed to be given to one of the brothers in the absence of the father.

According to Mrs Loise Mungai, a niece of the deceased, their uncle had gone to her mother’s house and demanded for the cow before he died.

“He said that my mother’s ruracio (dowry) had not been completed as one cow died along the way and as the son of his late father, he was to be given the animal to complete the dowry payment as per traditions,” she told Nation.

She said that Mzee Wang’era had warned that if the remaining cow was not delivered while he was alive, then it had to be buried next to his body. Mrs Mungai said her had instructed that the animal be buried hours before his own burial.

And after Mr Wang’era died last week following kidney complications, the family had no choice but to deliver unto his wishes ‘to void a curse’.

The family raised money and bought the calf to represent the cow, dug a grave next to that of the deceased and buried the animal alive on Thursday.

The brown-and white-spotted heifer was tied with a rope by its legs and lowered in the shallow grave in the presence of the area assistant Chief Joseph Kamande, village elders and close family members.

Watch helplessly

Suggestions to have the animal killed were met with disapproval from family members and the assistant chief could only watch helplessly.

“It is such a bizarre incident and we are feeling so bad because in our life we could not imagine that our uncle could make such a demand,” Mrs Mungai said.

However, the family seemed satisfied when the poor animal gave several desperate bleats, with many saying that the deceased had ordered that the animal must ‘cry out’ while being buried.

“Yes it has given out a cry, the curse will not follow us and we can now be rest assured that we are safe!” Shouted Samuel Kamau Kabuna, a nephew of the deceased.