Residents of Kiteta area of Kitui County have been up in arms against the excavation of a graveyard that was allegedly sold to Chinese contractors.
The Chinese took to their business of constructing a road on the piece of land, stirring up fury from residents who blamed them for “disturbing the peace of the dead”.
The Chinese have reportedly exhumed 36 skeletons in their venture.
A tycoon allegedly sold the disputed graveyard at Kiteta in Kyatune location within Kitui South constituency to Sinohydro, the Chinese company that is constructing the Kibwezi-Kitui road.
“Some rich man has been disturbing us in this village. He wants to sell to the Chinese the entire village simply because the area is endowed with road construction materials. Regarding this disputed land, on June 26, 1991, as indicated in this document, a Kitui court ruled that the land was ours but that has not deterred the claimant and today we saw tractors on our land. He has sold the land to a Chinese road construction company in the pretext that it is his,” said a resident Mutuku Mutunga.
The excavation has dealt the residents a tough blow as among the Kamba community, just like in most African communities, the dead are respected and treasured by their loved ones even in death, holding the belief that the dead have a role to play in their daily lives.