There was drama in Kitale Town after a hearse carrying the remains of a prominent business person reportedly failed to move for some inexplicable reason.
According to K24 news, businesses came to a standstill along Kenyatta Street in Kitale CBD as people milled around the Mercedes Benz hearse to witness the spectacle.
One eyewitness claimed that the funeral procession moved the body to another vehicle that also failed to start.
The spectacle reportedly lasted for over thirty minutes, with mechanics finding no fault with the vehicles. It has been claimed that the hearse broke down at the business premises of the deceased man.
“We are reeling in shock because we have never experienced such kind of events in this town. Once in a while we watch such incidents on TV stations and listen to them on the radio,” an eyewitness reportedly told K24.
Philemon Simotwo, a businessman in Kitale, added: “I am still wondering why the hearse stopped here in Kitale CBD. The hearse had travelled all the way from the morgue and when it was about to arrive at the business premises of the late businessman, it just failed to move.”
Ken Mutai, an M-Pesa operator, insisted that the hearse had a mechanical problem.
“I don’t want to believe what some people are saying that the body refused to be taken home. A mechanical problem is a possibility and therefore what happened is not bizarre to me,” Mutai said.
A Bukusu elder who spoke to K24 gave a cultural interpretation of the incident.
“The body might have refused to be taken home probably because the person behind his death was within the vicinity, or that some of his wishes had not been fulfilled; perhaps the deceased did not want to be carried on an expensive vehicle or did not want to arrive home early,” he said.
Hua munasikia tu, leo i have witnessed first hand. Mwili imekataa kuenda hapa Kitale town. They have exchanged 2 cars now and each time the car fails to start. Weuh! pic.twitter.com/OC2mAjBK0b
— KIPRONO (@Onorpik) October 25, 2022
Update: It finally moved, the mechanic said the cars had no problems at all. The locals claim that maybe the decease just wanted to say a final goodbye given that he used to nearly exactly where the car failed to move. Wazee were about to beat the dead body to make it move🙆🏾♂️🙆🏾♂️🙆🏾♂️
— KIPRONO (@Onorpik) October 25, 2022
