Nakuru lovers go for picnic at the cemetery

Cemeteries have been regarded as a place controlled by th dark spirits for time immemorial.

Passers-by have feared and the bereaved relatives whose remains they hold have respected these places.

However, in Nakuru, residents no longer care about the fear associated with such a place. They have turned the North Cemetery into a recreational space.

Reports indicate that the cemetery has been abandoned by the county government.

When a reporter from local publication visited the graveside on Friday, residents had thronged it to relax.

Residents enjoying a meal at Nakuru North Cemetery

Some were having their packed lunch on top of graves. Others were taking a nap. Still, others waited for the sun to set so they would troop back to their homes.

The cemetery has also become a grazing ground for livestock since pasture is in plenty, even on top of some graves.

A path cuts through the cemetery, which is usually used by those walking to or from town.

Some old graves have fading epitaphs.  The gravesite is a fascinating monument with a social history.

Prominent people buried at the cemetery include Lord Egerton, who died on January 30, 1958. He is the man after whom Egerton University is named.

The pioneer aviator, photographer and filmmaker was a frequent traveller and agriculturist who loved architecture.

Others buried in the cemetery are politician Mark Mwithaga in August 2016. Freedom fighters and former MPs such as Babu Wood, Nakuru’s first MP in 1976.

Most of World War I burials were also made there in November 1918. There have been 27 and 45 Commonwealth burials of World War I and World War II respectively.

Cows grazing at Nakuru North Cemetery

“It’s shameful that the county has neglected the souls in the graves. Years ago, relatives of World War victims used to come to pay their respects.

“They decorated the graves before flying back. They no longer come probably because of the county’s neglect of the cemetery,” Rift Valley Council of Elders patron Gilbert Kabage lamented.

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