A Kiambu family on Wednesday surprised many after they held a burial ceremony for their loved one, but without the body.
The family of Brian Kimani, 13, held a “virtual” burial for the boy who succumbed to Acute Myeloid Leukemia in February at ACK Saint Stephen’s Gatuikira church in Ndenderu, Kiambu county.
The boy was receiving treatment at Gertrude Hospital when he lost the battle to cancer.
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According to the family, they had failed to raised money to pay off the hospital bill which stood at 17.8 million.
The hospital did, however, give a 10 percent waiver, NHIF paid Sh650,000 while the family raised Sh1.7 million through a fundraiser and contributions from schools. They have so far paid off Sh4 million.
Kimani’s family says the hospital refused to release the body for burial because they could not raise “collateral.”
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“To this point, we have not established when we will conduct the burial. We haven’t been able to get the money, or collateral (in order to have the body released). We are at the end. We are waiting on God,” Stephen Njoroge, Kimani’s father said.
But the hospital denies holding the body hostage. In fact, the hospital management says they were supposed to hold a meeting with the bereaved family on Thursday to come up with a payment plan before releasing the body on Friday.
“The family informed the hospital yesterday, March 10, 2020, that burial had been planned for Friday, March 13, 2020, and that they would be in touch on Thursday, March 12, 2020, with a payment plan and to collect the body for burial. It is, therefore, surprising that anybody would claim that the hospital has refused to release the body for a funeral service or burial,” Head of Clinical Services Thomas Ngwiri said.
The deceased was remembered as a lover of music and adventure.
He was going to join Form One this year.
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