In what may seem an aberration or a taboo to many; an elderly man in Kiharu, Murang’a County of Kenya has left tongues wagging and confusion reigning high after digging his own grave and writing his own eulogy (tribute to someone that has died recently).
Samuel Karanja who is now the talk of his village – Murang’a, said he has planned his funeral in advance, to save his family the trouble of long-winded funeral preparations.
“I do not want to bother people at my funeral, most people bother people with their demise but that will not be me” he said.
Mr. Karanja began with preparing his graveside- a single-roomed cavern surrounded by colorful flowers where he posits he will be interred when he breathes his last.
He has named his final resting place “Kumenya”- after his alias, loosely translated as ‘knowing’ – the words are plastered on the grave in white.
Mr. Karanja said he had already left clear instructions on how he wants to be interred; no flowers, no cross, and he will not be expecting his remains to be covered with soil.
He has also printed the photo that will be placed on his coffin, and his eulogies which he said he wrote himself because no one else knows him better.
His shocked family was taken aback by the taboo but were quick to note that the elderly man is a peach in a mango tree.
His wife said she has never seen her husband wear a shirt, even when it’s freezing cold or sweltering hot.
“He never wears a shirt, he says he hates warmth and even when he is working in the farm, you will see him shirtless” she said.