Drama as wives fight over their husband's body
What you need to know:
- Police called in to escort the convoy to Kabuchai where first wife has a piece of land.
- Second wife, children say they took care of carpenter when he was sick.
There was confusion at the Bungoma County Referral Hospital mortuary when two women fought over the body of their husband on Monday.
Christopher Waswa, an elderly man who had two wives and 16 children, died after a long illness at a private hospital a few days ago.
His body was to be taken home for burial when the women began fighting over it.
Waswa, who was a carpenter in Mayanja, Bumula constituency, was to be buried at the elder wife’s homestead in Kabuchai.
The children of his second wife could hear none of it, insisting that the body should be buried at their mother’s place.
Ms Anne Nanjala, a relative of Waswa, told journalists that the second wife caused the chaos yet the family had agreed on where the burial should be.
“The woman and her children showed up at the mortuary with a different vehicle demanding to take the body. That led to a scuffle,” Ms Nanjala said.
She added that trouble started on Sunday when Waswa’s second wife hid his national identity card.
Ms Nanjala said she convinced the woman to surrender the document in order to facilitate burial arrangements.
“I told her that the identity card would be returned after the burial permit and death certificates had been issued to the family," Ms Nanjala said.
A hearse carrying the remains of a man whose body was being claimed by each of his two wives outside Bungoma Police Station.
Caused mayhem
“When we arrived at the mortuary, we did what was demanded of us. The body was cleaned and dressed, ready for the journey to Mayanja where Waswa used to work before it could be taken to Kabuchai. The younger wife and her children arrived and caused mayhem, demanding to take the body.”
Ms Nanjala said the woman, identified as Hillary, picked a rock and smashed the rear windscreen of the van that had the body.
“They wanted the body, saying they are the ones who have been living with Waswa and taking care of him,” she said.
Police officers arrived at the mortuary as the situation threatened to degenerate into a full physical confrontation. They took the warring women and their families to the station.
Ms Nanjala said family members of the first wife feared for their lives because Hillary and her children threatened to ambush the funeral convoy.
Mr Protus Masinde, a cousin of Waswa, said the family sat the two women down and that they all agreed on the Kabuchai burial.
“Clan members asked the second wife to cooperate with the rest of the family. The violence has shocked everybody,” he said.
He said it was unfortunate that the children of the second wife came to the mortuary with their uncle from Uganda and instigated the violence.
Bungoma South police boss Wilson Nanga offered the family of the first wife protection.
They later left for the first wife’s home in Kisiwa village.
