Residents of Nyamotaro village in Marani sub county will have to adjust to the new rates towards funeral services after the local organizing committee increased the amount from the current Sh200 per household to Sh400.
Speaking on Tuesday in his office, chairman Peter Ontieri said the figure was arrive at after the committee found it difficult to handle funeral expenses since the initial amount was unable to cater for all expenses during the mourning period.
According to him, managing funeral from the region had thrown the committee to a financial crisis, forcing them to borrow from surrounding neighborhood hence creating controversy their after.
“It has been quite difficult to handle funerals in our village due to scarcity of resources. The little amount that we have been collecting is not even enough to take us for a week when we experience funerals. In fact, we have been operating on debts and that is why we raised the figures,” he said.
Ontieri cautioned residents who defaulted the agreement and announced that each will be penalized with a fine of Sh100 failure to comply in time besides announcing the new rates for young adults who was exempted before.
“Those who delay in paying will have to pay Sh100 and from today, any youth aged 20 years residing in the village will have to remit Sh200 towards funeral expenses,” he said.
However, a section of locals opposed the move to subject youths to payments besides questioning the accountability from the current committee members.
“I am shocked that even unmarried people will have to pay. They must first of all be ready to be accountable by making their records public. I am not really convinced of the new rates,” said Victor Maeche on behalf of the dissatisfied locals.