There was drama at Eshronyanga village in Navakholo constituency in Kakamega county after a 22-year-old man demolished his house and dug his own grave after arguing with his wife.
Family members say the young man – Francis Chebuche had problems with his wife before threatening to bury himself alive.
Led by his sister Maureen Kakai, the family which claims that their kin abuses drugs, says Chebuche woke up very early in the morning yelling that life had become unbearable as he was unable to sustain his wife.
At that point, he had a heated argument with his wife and subjected her to a thorough beating before chasing her away.
He subsequently dug a grave and headed to the market where he purchased a casket and burial clothes ready for his ‘burial’.
His sister also claimed that Chebuche had become a nuisance after he had previously threatened to kill his family members.
“After causing chaos, he chased away his wife arguing that life was difficult as he cannot sustain his woman. He started demolishing his house, took the measurement of his own grave, and proceeded to the market centre to buy a coffin and clothes for his burial,” she stated.
Area locals who followed him as he was heading back home stated that they were forced to scamper for safety after he chased them away with a machete and knife.
On the other hand, his father, Moses Andalon stated that they were unable to fathom whether their son was possessed by an evil spirit or the drugs he was consuming were getting a hold of him.
“We don’t know where his wife has gone but my son has bought his own coffin and dug a grave that he wants to bury himself in while still alive. We don’t know whether it is the drug substance he uses or he is possessed by an evil spirit,” he said.
He added: “We are waiting for him to come and actualise his threats; we are ready to help him. He has refused to calm down and in fact, he is asking us where are the police we went to report him to and that he wants to face them before completing his mission.”
Community elders say the young man must undergo a ritual cleansing in line with the Luhya traditions and customs.
“We have to conduct rituals by slaughtering a sheep and burying a piece of the banana stem in the grave so as to avoid a calamity that might befall the family. We have come to talk with the family about the ritual plans,” Meshack Oponyo, one of the elders stated.
