The management of Kisumu City has outlawed burying bodies in estates within the municipality area, following a sharp rise in the number of such cases, especially in the informal settlements.
Kisumu City Manager Abala Wanga said some residents were now burying their loved ones on road reserves and in between buildings posing a serious public health problem.
Nyalenda, Obunga, Manyatta, Bondeni and Kanyakwar residential areas were the most affected.
Wanga said this was illegal, asking bereaved families who are unable to transport bodies to their rural homes for burial to take them to the cemetery.
“Stop squeezing graves in between buildings. If you know you can’t follow your lineage and take the casket home please prepare to bury in the cemetery,” he said.
Wanga said plans were underway to establish additional cemeteries to augment Mamboleo cemetery, even as efforts to clump down on illegal burials in the city continue.
Speaking during a cleaning exercise in Nyalenda slums, the City Manager said some families had sentimental attachments to land within the municipality, adding that burials in the affected areas will not be allowed.
He called for a concerted effort to ensure that the city remains clean and green.
“During the Christmas festivities, we had a lot of dirt in the city. We started the daily cleaning drive, which we have now extended to the estates,” he said.
The city management, he said has revoked licenses of all garbage collection firms to address the challenge of waste management in the city.
“We realized that some of the firms lacked the necessary equipment and were therefore throwing litter all over. We are going to subject them to a process before issuing them with new licenses,” he said, adding that management of non-biodegradable waste among them plastics and pampers posed a big challenge.
He urged area residents to install dust bins and segregate waste at source to help address the challenge.
By Chris Mahandara
