Where is our son? Family in Embu says widow has body

A family from Munyutu village in Runyenjes constituency, Embu, is seeking assistance to trace the body of their son after it was secretly transferred from a mortuary to an unknown place by his widow.

The development has thrown the funeral arrangements of 41-yearold consultant surgeon Naftary Munene into disarray.

He died in an alleged road accident on February 8.

The surgeon, who had been ailing for some time reportedly died in Subukia, Nakuru, when his vehicle veered off the road and hit a culvert while on a night out with the wife.

However, the family reads foul play in the circumstances surrounding his death, questioning why the wife took her ailing husband out for a night of partying from Embu town to Nakuru.

The family had ordered a second postmortem after they were dissatisfied with the first they claimed was hurriedly done without their involvement.

But then they discovered the body had been taken away from Gakwegori Funeral Home in Embu town.

“By the time we arrived in Nyahururu town to view his body hours after death, we found a postmortem had already been organised and despite our refusal the wife went ahead to have it conducted,” Munene’s mother said.

The results indicated he suffered several broken ribs.

The body was moved closer to home at Gakwegori Funeral Home and burial arrangements commenced.

However, two days later on Monday when his family went to book for another postmortem, they found the body had been taken away the previous day.

“We were told she picked up the body, wrapped it in a polythene bag, loaded it in a pick-up and hurriedly left,” the mother said.

Their efforts to trace the body have borne no fruit.

The morgue has exonerated itself from blame, saying they had no option but to release the body to the widow since she had delivered it to them.

“Mourners who used to frequent our home for prayers and funeral arrangements left and what we are asking is for assistance to be able to trace his body so that we can accord him a befitting sendoff as his family,” the mother said.

Munene’s father, who visited the alleged scene of accident and saw the vehicle, said the impact from hitting a culvert could not have killed him as the car suffered very minimal damage.

“We suspect foul play and that is why we are asking detectives to assist us in unraveling the cause of his death,” he said.