Meru Man Fakes His Child's Death to Collect Burial Contributions From Church Members

A Meru family has been left stunned after a group of mourners arrived at its rural homestead for the burial of a child who had not died.

Well-wishers, who reportedly contributed a total of KSh 20,000 towards the funeral, have since been identified as the source of the story.

The mourners allegedly fell for a fundraising story staged by the family's own relative.

According to a family member identified only as Oliver, a cousin who lives in Isiolo allegedly told people in his community that his child had died.

The mourners then reportedly hired vehicles and travelled from Isiolo to Meru, expecting to attend a burial.

When they reached the homestead, Oliver said, the family there knew nothing about it. No child had died and no burial had been planned.

A social media post about the same incident gives a similar account of events on the day. Its author, wrote that they were among the mourners.

The post on Facebook stated that on the morning of the burial, the man called to say the family had not left home because money was short for hiring a vehicle to carry the body. The contributors allegedly sent more money.

The post said that when the group arrived in Meru, the man told them to give him ten minutes, and he would come to them. Soon afterwards, they said, he switched off his phone.

The group then went to the morgue where he had said the child's body was being kept, but found no body and no record of the child's name in the bookings.

According to the author, relatives were going about their usual routines at the home where they were supposed to hold the burial, and the child they came to bury played with other children.