Edith Wekulu, a school caterer and mother of two from Kenya, has shared a harrowing experience of her husband's burial day, which turned into a nightmare when his family and mourners allegedly threw her into his grave. Edith met her husband, Samson, a police officer, through a mutual friend. She was drawn to his hardworking nature and faith, and they began living together in 2019. Their home life was stable, with Samson being a provider and a generous person.
However, Samson struggled privately with grief over losing several of his brothers. On the morning of December 28, 2022, Samson woke up, stepped outside briefly, and then returned to the house. He had been assigned to drive his superiors to a meeting that day. When a colleague, Officer Njenga, noticed he had not reported for duty, they checked on him and found he had already passed away inside the house. In the days before his death, Samson had gone silent, stopping picking Edith's calls from December 26.
Edith reached out to his mother and her own family, fearing something was terribly wrong. On December 28, she received a message on her phone containing his Co-operative bank account PIN, his M-Pesa PIN, and a note that his wallet and phone would be delivered to her, which was the moment she sensed the worst had happened. Edith's account of the events leading to Samson's death suggests that he was under immense pressure, balancing the needs of his young family alongside caring for his elderly mother.
At the burial, Edith says she hesitated when it came to tossing soil onto the lowered casket, as advised by her father, as they did not want her tied to the dead forever as a young widow. That pause was enough to ignite fury among the crowd gathered there, a mix of relatives, neighbours, and friends. They were claiming that she was the one who had caused Samson's death, and demanded a machete and petrol to harm her and burn the car.
The mourners allegedly pushed Edith into the grave, and she fell on top of the coffin as soil was being poured inside. Her son was also thrown in, and they did not care that they would die there. Luckily, her brother came to their rescue and managed to rescue her son and her. Her brother jumped in to pull her out of the grave, a task made harder because she had recently given birth and was still breastfeeding.
The chief was eventually forced to call police from a nearby station to restore order. Officers locked Edith inside a house under guard until the situation calmed. She emerged with bruises across her body from being dragged along the ground. In the aftermath, the family allegedly compelled her father to return the dowry and made Edith sign a document severing her ties to Samson.
The incident has raised concerns about the treatment of widows and the handling of family disputes in Kenya. Edith's ordeal is a testament to the challenges faced by many women in similar situations. The police have not commented on the incident, and it is unclear if any action has been taken against Samson's family. Edith is now left to pick up the pieces and move forward, with the support of her family and friends.
Key points
- A Kenyan woman claims her late husband's family threw her into his grave during the burial ceremony.
- The family accused her of causing his death and demanded a machete and petrol to harm her.
- The incident has raised concerns about the treatment of widows and the handling of family disputes in Kenya.
