Family denies burying ex-mayor secretly
The family of Thika's longest serving Mayor Douglas Mundia has dismissed as untrue claims that they buried him secretly.
Family spokesman Isaac Munene said the former civic leader was laid to rest according to his wishes at their rural home in Kang'oo village, Gatundu North on Monday.
Prior to his death, Mundia is said to have called family members and expressed his wish for his body not to be kept in the mortuary once he died.
Munene said that, in accordance to their father’s wish they agreed to honour him and buried him on the fourth day of his demise in a private ceremony.
He dismissed as malicious and unfounded claims that Mundia was buried hurriedly and secretly under unclear circumstances allegedly impelled by family disagreements.
Instead, he said all the children of Mundia's four wives participated in the burial ceremony presided over by a pastor.
He added that the family and the burial committee is organizing a memorial service to be held at the Thika stadium on Friday February 28.
The former mayor who died on Thursday night last week aged 88-years has been battling a long-time illness since year 2014.
David Njihia, a former mayor, also chairing the burial committee said that both county and national leaders are expected at the ceremony that will see leaders and residents of Thika pay him their last respect.
Mundia was elected the first mayor of Thika in 1968 and served in that capacity for four terms- more than 20 years when he left office in 1992 after quitting the then ruling party Kanu to join the opposition.
He will be remembered for pioneering major developments in Thika town among them the setting up of Thika Stadium, establishment of Thika town hall, planting of trees, churches, development of industries alongside other infrastructural developments.
