Former executive secretary of KNUT Nakuru branch Njau Kuria was on Wednesday hurriedly buried at his home in Subuku, Njoro to beat a court order that was meant to bar his burial.
A source said there was a family misunderstanding and there were fears one faction would stop the burial.
The late unionist was buried as early as 6 am which is not common among Kikuyu traditions.
Members of PCEA church in Nakuru, where the late used to fellowship, were shocked by the move as they never participated.
Usually, one is buried by members of the church he or she used to worship with.
The vocal unionist passed on Tuesday at Mediheal hospital in Nakuru, after suffering Cardiac arrest.
The deceased was a veteran and seasoned KNUT official who entertained no-nonsense when it came to union matters. During his tenure, he served as a member of the KNUT national executive council.
He will be remembered for his strong mobilization skills and advocacy for the rights of teachers. Njau left office after losing to Mungai Muhia.
He also unsuccessfully vied for the Njoro parliamentary seat in 2013.
Speaking on Wednesday when he visited the home, KNUT secretary general Wilson Sossion commended the late for his work.
“I want to laud the late Njau Kuria for the commitment he showed in serving the interests of the teachers in Nakuru County. I call on the teachers to emulate him by remaining united,” said Sossion.
The KNUT SG also reiterated the Union’s stand on the ongoing delocalization of teachers by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) saying the move is in bad faith and meant to mess up the union of teachers.
“We will not allow TSC to bully teachers through some policies that we were not consulted and therefore our September strike notice ultimatum remains, “ he said.