Rosemary Chemutai/COURTESYThe family of KCB executive Rosemary Chemutai Koech has defended her night burial, saying the decision was guided by Kalenjin cultural traditions and not intended to create a dispute with her husband or his family.
Speaking during Chemutai’s memorial service at her home in Chepseon, Kericho County, Saturday, Kipkendek clan national chairman Samwel Keter urged Kenyans to ignore reports suggesting there was a family feud over her burial.
Keter said the clan had held extensive consultations before Chemutai was laid to rest Friday night, insisting that the burial arrangements were dictated by cultural practices following the circumstances surrounding her death.
“We are celebrating Rosemary’s life. We are also extending and inviting everybody. We are welcoming everybody,” Keter said.
He said the clan had a responsibility to perform certain rituals when a person dies in circumstances such as those surrounding Chemutai’s death.
“Yesterday we had a very, very big ceremony here,” Keter said, urging Kenyans not to rely on what was being reported in the media about the burial.
According to Keter, Kalenjin traditions require the clan to conduct specific ceremonies before the deceased is buried, particularly when death occurs through an act that requires cultural cleansing.
“Our child (Chemutai) went through what she went through, but as per our culture there are some things that we have to perform,” he said.
Keter said the body could not be kept for an extended period after such a death, even after a postmortem had been conducted.
“When someone dies in such a manner, they should not stay more than three days. Even after a postmortem has been conducted, the body should not stay more than two days before being laid to rest,” he said.
He added that the clan performed rituals intended to prevent similar incidents from occurring within the family in future.
“There are also some things that are performed, and that is why we buried her. As per Kipsigis traditions, some things are done so that such a thing does not recur to any other person of the family in future,” Keter said.
He said the practices were not unique to the Kipkendek clan but formed part of wider Kalenjin traditions.
“We did that because of the culture and the rule of the Kalenjin traditions and not our clan alone. We do not want some things to follow us as a clan later on,” he said.
Keter also sought to dispel reports of a dispute between Chemutai’s family and her husband, Kevin Migwe Kimwatu.
“We also want to stress that we do not have issues with anyone,” he said.
He explained that Chemutai had been buried on her own parcel of land after the clan consulted her parents.
“After having a meeting as a clan, we asked the parents to show us Chemutai’s land and where we shall bury her,” Keter said.
He said Chemutai’s four children who she had with Kimwatu, had a right to access and live on the property.
“Her children are free to come and live on that land. They have a right to come and visit the family and go to their home there. Even the husband and his family are also free to come there,” he said.
Keter said the family had no intention of pursuing the matter in court.
“We are also not going to pursue any case in court as a family,” he said.
He further revealed that the clan had undertaken specific cleansing rituals involving the robe used by Chemutai to commit suicide.
A section of members of the Myoot Kipsigis council of elders were present during the event.
“There are also some things that we did specifically on the robe that she used to commit suicide. We have to cleanse it so that another person does not use it to commit a similar act,” he said.
On the timing of Chemutai’s burial, Keter said the family was acting within cultural guidelines governing burials.
He said burials are conducted within a prescribed afternoon and evening period, insisting that the family did not consider the timing of Chemutai's burial a violation of their traditions.
“We are at liberty to do what we did, provided you don't go beyond that stated time,” he said.
Keter reiterated that Chemutai’s family had no quarrel with Kimwatu.
“We have no issue with the other family. In fact, Kevin, who is a father to Chemu’s children, we have no quarrel with him,” he said.
“The place where Chemu is resting belongs to her and, by extension, to the children, Kevin (husband)included.”
Her husband had moved to court, arguing that he had been sidelined from the funeral arrangements despite being Chemutai's husband and the father of their four children.
He had told the court that their marriage had experienced challenges but maintained that he remained Rosemary's lawful husband.
Court documents showed that he had sought to halt the burial arrangements, saying he had not been adequately involved in decisions surrounding his wife's funeral.
The court consequently issued temporary orders barring the removal of Rosemary's remains and stopping the burial pending the hearing of the case.
Chemutai's death drew widespread attention, with colleagues, friends and family describing her as a dedicated professional and a loving mother.
