Cremation is becoming more common in African communities and worldwide as one way of disposing dead bodies unlike long before when it was known to be an Indian and Nepal tradition.
According to reports, cremation was introduced in other parts of the world in the 19th century.
In most cases however, those that are cremated, usually make their family aware that that is how they would wish their bodies to be disposed of.
In Kenya a number of prominent people have opted to get disposed of that way after they conclude their journey on earth and below is a list of some of them.
Charles Njonjo
Njonjo served as Kenya’s attorney general between 1963 to 1979. He also served as a constitutional Affairs minister as well as the MP for Kikuyu in 1980-1983.
He passed away on January 2, 2022 at his home in Muthaiga, Nairobi. According to his family, Njonjo succumbed to pneumonia.
Njonjo’s body was cremated at Kariokor Hindu crematorium just 3 hours after his death.
Ken Okoth
He served as Kibra MP from 2013 to July 26,2019 when he passed on due to multiple organ failure.
Okoth was suffering from colorectal cancer and died at the age of 41 years. His remains were cremated at the Kariokor crematorium on August 3, 2019
Bob Collymore
The famed Safaricom CEO passed on in July 1, 2019 due to acute myeloid leukemia at the age of 61 years while at his home.
His body was cremated on the following day at the Kariokor crematorium.
Collymore served as CEO of Safaricom from 2010-2019.
Kenneth Matiba
Popularly known as the father of multi-party democracy, Matiba refused to be given a state burial and opted for cremation.
He announced that publicly during a fundraiser in 1994.
“I don’t want dancing, parties and Harambees when I die. After all, the Kikuyu traditionally never buried their dead. They used to take the bodies into the forest to be devoured by hyenas. Was that not wisdom?” posed Matiba.
He died on April 15, 2018 and his body was cremated at the Lang’ata crematorium.
Wangari Maathai
She became the first ever African woman to win a Nobel peace prize in 2004. Wangari died at the age 71 on September 25, 2011 at the Nairobi Hospital’s Doctor’s Plaza.
She died of complications resulting from Ovarian cancer. Her body was cremated at the Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies in accordance with her wishes.
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