Shock in Kiminini as man digs up wife's grave over 'haunting'

Residents of Mbai Farm in Kiminini Constituency were left shaken on Saturday morning after witnessing a bizarre act that blurred the line between grief, culture, and spiritual fear.

At dawn, Gabriel Kiplimo, 41, single-handedly exhumed the body of his wife, Nancy Namalwa, who had been buried three weeks prior. His reason? He claimed her spirit had been tormenting him in dreams, begging to be set free.

“I woke up at 5am and saw Gabriel digging near the grave. I thought he had gone mad. But he looked calm like a man on a mission.” Said Mary Mukhwana, a neighbour.

According to witnesses, after reaching the casket, Kiplimo unwrapped Namalwa’s body with care. He then cleaned it, applied oil and lip balm, and whispered to it as if holding a conversation.

“He cleaned the body like he was preparing her for something important. Then he said she told him in dreams that herbs had been buried with her, and he found them exactly where she said.” Mukhwana added. 

The act has left the community in disbelief, especially given the cultural taboos involved. Friends of Kiplimo revealed that the man had been unable to move on since the burial.

“Yesterday he told me that every time he tried to meet another woman, Nancy would appear in his dreams. She told him she had been buried with her panty, which in our Luhya culture is forbidden. It traps the spirit.” Said Timothy Barasa, a close confidant

Another friend, Kachumbari Wekesa, described Kiplimo as a deeply troubled man since the funeral.

 “He looked like someone with unfinished business,” he said.

Cultural beliefs among the Luhya people prohibit burying a woman with certain garments, as it is believed to spiritually bind the deceased and her partner to the grave.

After completing the ritual, Kiplimo reburied Namalwa, this time facing east. In many African cultures, the direction of burial is significant, with the east often symbolizing rebirth or the rising sun.

Witnesses say that during the reburial, Kiplimo was seen softly speaking to the body, professing his undying love.

“He told her, ‘I love you and I cannot  let you suffer, It was heartbreaking. I don’t think any of us will forget that moment.” Said Linet Amkhale, another neighbour. “

The exhumation has reignited suspicions among Namalwa’s family, who have long believed she may not have died of natural causes.

“We believe someone put those herbs there. This was not a peaceful death. There’s something sinister here.” Said a relative who declined to be named.

However, others insist Namalwa had been unwell for a long time.

“She had serious eye problems and was often sick. We used to pray with her. She wasn’t murdered.” Said Amkhale

The law, however, is clear.

Confirming the incident, Kiminini Sub-County Police Commander John Onditi said Kiplimo acted unlawfully by tampering with the grave.

“This is an offence because nobody in Kenya is allowed to exhume a buried body without a court order. We shall prefer charges of interfering with the deceased under Section 137 of the Penal Code.” Onditi stated.

Kiplimo is currently in custody at Kiminini Police Station awaiting arraignment.

Back in Mbai Farm, villagers remain gripped by the strange series of events. Some see Kiplimo as a grieving husband haunted by cultural guilt. Others view him as a man mentally broken by loss.

“Maybe he was just desperate. But love can do strange things to a man. Even make him dig up the dead.” Barasa said quietly