A Meru family was left in complete disbelief after a group of mourners arrived at their rural homestead for a burial they had never heard of, allegedly victims of a fundraising scam staged by their own relative.
According to a family member identified as Oliver, their cousin, who reportedly resides in Isiolo, allegedly told people in his community that his child had passed away.
The story spread quickly enough that well-wishers contributed a total of KSh 20,000 towards the funeral, and a group of mourners reportedly hired vehicles and made the journey from Isiolo to Meru expecting to attend a burial.
Mourners Arrive to Find No One Knew of Any Death
When the group reached the homestead, the Meru family was completely in the dark. No child had died, and no burial had been planned. The mourners had travelled all that way based on what appears to have been a fabricated story.
“Ni cuzoo yetu alidanganya watu Isiolo wamchangie mtoto wake amekufa, akapewa pesa leo watu wakakam mazishi na magari,” Oliver said, confirming that the man had deceived people into believing his child was gone, received the money, and then watched as the unsuspecting group made their way to Meru.
Prayers Held Amid the Chaos
Video footage captured at the homestead shows what appears to be a prayer session conducted outdoors in the compound, surrounded by trees and open grassland.
A preacher is heard declaring blessings and spiritual protection over the children present, commanding the “destruction of death” and praying that no harm would come to them. The atmosphere in the footage is charged, mixing confusion and raw emotion with religious fervour.
On-screen captions overlaid on the video captured the disbelief many felt, with one reading: “Imagine strangers showing up at your home for a funeral you know absolutely nothing about!”
The incident has since drawn widespread attention online, with many questioning how a story about a child’s death could go unchecked long enough for people to hire transport and travel across counties before anyone thought to verify it with the family directly.
