Kakamega residents have decried a sorry state of affairs following the extortion of their hard-earned money through forceful burial contributions by a ring of youths in the county.
The aggrieved residents who hail from Butere and Mumias claim that the youths aforementioned mount illegal roadblocks before forcing them to contribute. The contributions range between Ksh20 and Ksh1,000 depending on how financially loaded one appears.
According to the residents, the rogue youths display large printed photos of the ‘deceased’, and tie a rope across the street to act as a block for oncoming motorists as they blast loud music.
While calling on relevant authorities to take swift action against those involved, the residents note that the only way to pass through the roadblock is by contributing despite not knowing the beneficiaries.
“Why does the government allow such backward behaviour? Road users are being harassed big time. The people feel so helpless,” one Musa Ekaya, a resident of Mumias town decried.
The residents argue that the activity is mostly done by boda boda riders within the towns aforementioned. They also revealed that the trend mostly occurs whenever a Jua Kali trader, boda boda rider or a matatu operator passes away.
Additionally, the residents who claim that the boda boda operators use the trend to collect easy money disclosed that they tend to use pictures of individuals who passed away a very long time, or at some point, the suspects use images of people who are still alive.
A man dances on the road at Sabatia market in Butere as rogue youth mount illegal roadblocks to collect ‘funeral funds’ from road users. PHOTO/Courtesy
“There is a case of an old man who died a long time ago and was buried, but the groups were still using his image to collect money,” a local told a local publication.
On their part, Mumias East Sub-County police commander Mohammed Kullow who spoke to the Nation affirmed that the youth who participate in the exercise are drunkards who cannot be trusted to handle money, he noted that the activity has been banned in the towns.
“We encourage people to form welfare groups that will support them during bereavements. Youth who normally take part in this exercise are usually drunk and cannot be trusted with money for funeral expenses,” he said.
