There was drama at Eburinde village in Kakemega county on Monday, after county officials exhumed the body of a former employee and took away the county uniform in which he had been buried.
The officials undressed Martin Shikuku Alukoye who had drowned only a month after being hired, and took away his green uniform, a service cap, whistle, a lanyard and his boots.
This happened only two days after the epileptic man who had drowned in river Eburinde on August 7 was laid to rest. He was buried on Saturday night, as per the Luhya customs.
But administrators from Ituti Community County later arrived at the homestead demanding the county belongings, before ordering youth service officers to dig up and retrieve them.
Ironically, Francis Mutamba, Alukoye's uncle, claims that some of the officials who presided over the exhumation were present during the burial, but never demanded for the uniform.
The incident was confirmed by Ituti sub-chief Daniel Namai, who sharply condemned the incident.
"What happened today is illegal as the law dictates that when a body is buried, an individual who has a complaint or protest should first seek court orders for the body to be exhumed,” said the administrator.
The body was dressed in new clothes and reburied on Monday evening.
However, a visit by the Standard to the scene on Tuesday indicated that the uniform and county belongings were yet to be collected and were still hanging from a tree nearby.