Residents of Nakuru fear that the cemeteries are full to the capacity and that they are using graves initially used. The hardest hit is the Nakuru north cemetery near the provincial General Hospital Nakuru. “We have been forced to have the tomb of our beloved brother covered in concrete because we suspect that those that look neglected are reused after several years,” said Peter Mwangi. Moses Mburu, who is a grave digger at the Nakuru north Cemetery, revealed that it is the county government officials who direct them on where to dig the graves. “We can dig anywhere where we are directed. May it be in the middle of the cemetery or along the walls,” said Mburu. When asked whether there was a possibility that the burial ground was being recycled, Moses was noncommittal saying that these days they are not going the usual six feet down which spoke volumes of the suspicions. The only graves that look safe are those of the soldiers killed in the World War and those that have been heavily cemented and look maintained. “It’s the same thing with the cemetery near Kivumbini and there we dig graves up to three feet deep only,” added Moses. Recently, the Nakuru county government put adverts in the major papers looking for alternative land to use as cemeteries.

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