On Tuesday, March 26, TikToker Brian Chira was laid to rest at his grandmother’s ancestral land in Gitei village, Gathanje, Kiambu County.
The burial ceremony drew a crowd of prominent figures from the content creator community, known as the ‘Chira Clan,’ leaving the villagers astonished.
They had never seen such a large and unruly crowd of young people before. The Chira friends and fans showed little regard even for the elders in the village.
Normally, Chira, 23, would have been buried by his immediate family, schoolmates, and some neighbours.
However, this was not the case, as even the religious leaders were not given a chance to lead the service at the gravesite.
Disorder erupted as hundreds of TikTokers gathered around the gravesite, some of them drunk and acting disorderly.
The villagers and even family members stood back, allowing them to bury their friend without fully understanding what was happening.
Instead of simply covering the grave with soil, they scattered the soil and began planting flowers. They danced, recorded videos, and took selfies around Chira’s resting place.
Following the burial, TikTokers conducted rituals at Chira’s gravesite, including watering the flowers with alcohol.
Nairobi News spoke to some neighbours who expressed their disapproval of the events that took place.
One villager was particularly saddened by the TikTokers’ use of strong words like “Hatuna maisha” (We have no lives).
“We only wish the best for our children because we never want to witness what we saw today. It was a bad scene. The family wasn’t even allowed to bury their loved one with dignity. We want our children to come back home with the respect they left with,” she said.
Their hope is to never see such behaviour again in their village.
“We are calling on our village to hold a cleansing ceremony to remove any negative spirits left behind.”
What angered them the most?
“We didn’t like how they were dressed, smoking, and drinking alcohol in front of us. They weren’t respectful even to the clerics. They disrespected our Kikuyu traditions, and we’ve never seen that before. They were urinating everywhere. That’s not how we were raised. We’re worried about their future and how they’ll raise their own children.
It was a struggle for even the church to access the gravesite. They don’t seem to know what they’re doing,” said one villager who was just shaking her head in astonishment.
Brian Chira burial
When asked if they blamed their upbringing, another villager said:
“I wouldn’t blame their backgrounds because many of them were raised well. After 18 years, we let them go out into the world, and that’s where they pick up such behavior.
They’re mixing the church and the world. It didn’t feel like a burial; they seemed to be celebrating. Taking selfies and coming here drunk wasn’t appropriate.”
Chira tragically lost his life in a hit-and-run accident in Karuri, Kiambu County.
A friend who was with him explained that Chira had been at a local club and had too much to drink.
Unable to pay for a ride home and with his phone in the possession of another friend, he sought a lift from someone else.
Another villager expressed: “Brian was a young man who deserved a respectful burial. It’s heartbreaking to see TikTokers celebrating and dancing. We’re left wondering if they truly respected him.
Chira has left nothing behind, not even a child. We didn’t let our own children come here. We fear they might pick up such unruly behaviour.”
Following his death, the TikTok community rallied together and raised over Sh10 million to support Chira’s grandmother, Esther Njeri.
Part of the proceeds will be used to buy land and build her a house, fulfilling Chira’s wish for the grandmother to have a comfortable home.
Chira was laid to rest next to his great-grandfather, and the villagers watched as the content creators stepped on their graves.
“In Kikuyu culture, we don’t step on graves, dance around them, or drink alcohol there. They should return to church because, despite his fame, Brian is nothing after today; he’s left nothing to show he ever existed.”
Chira’s burial was attended by politicians among them, Mumias East MP, Peter Salasya, Musicians Otile Brown, Justina Syokau, TikTokers: Baba Talisha, Tizian Savage, Prince Mwiti, Manzi wa Mombasa, Lupita Nyakisum, Jude Magambo, Hanna Benta among others.
