Wild animals disturbing the dead at Lang'ata Cemetery

Wild animals from the nearby Nairobi National Park are roaming freely around Lang'ata cemetery and unearthing shallow graves.

This is one of the issues that Lang'ata MP Felix Odiwour alias Jalang’o has highlighted in his motion tabled in the National Assembly.

The lawmaker argues that despite the cemetery being declared full about two decades ago, bodies are still being buried there.

“Lang’ata public cemetery was declared full close to two decades ago but this matter has not been addressed,” he stated.

In his motion, Odiwour claims some of the graves are shallow, posing health risks to the public. The lawmaker has asked the Ministry of Health to do an assessment of risks posed by the continued use of the cemetery.

“This situation has led to overcrowding and double allocation of burial sites with bodies being buried in shallow graves leading to frequent uncovering by wild animals from the nearby park," he stated.

This situation, according to the MP, has caused untold anguish, pain suffering to bereaved families and psychological torment to the neighbouring community.

The MP is calling on relevant authorities to institute mitigatory measures besides finding alternative land for burial. 

On January 22, the Nairobi City County environment unit embarked on clearing overgrown bushes, weeding, picking litter, mowing, and levelling uneven patches at the public cemetery.

“I issued a directive to the environment team to clear and make the cemetery tidy. We must ensure that we provide dignity to all including the departed,” read a statement from the governor’s office.

Despite the 100-acre cemetery being full bodies continue to arrive every day for burial.

The cemetery is divided into permanent and temporary sections. Space at the permanent graves for adults costs Sh30,000, children Sh4,000 while that for infants is Sh2,000.

Those from outside Nairobi are charged Sh40,000. In 2009, City Hall lost millions of shillings after the defunct City Council of Nairobi paid Sh283 million for 48.5 acres in Mavoko, Machakos County.