Kenyans in the Diaspora often incur high costs in transporting the body of a deceased Kenyan to Kenya for burial. The money raised in such situations could go a longer way if most of it were used to assist the living relatives left behind, who are often plunged into financial turmoil by the demise of a person who played a pivotal role in providing for them.
While this topic is, doubtless, an emotional one, the author recommends that Kenyans consider cremation as an option for those who die in the Diaspora.
Death and dying are topics generally skirted by many individuals and communities around the world because most people don’t want to think of the end of life as we know it or deal with the largely unknown quantities of the hereafter.
Through personal choice and with the aid of a class I took in college years ago, I have had occasion to consider death and dying at length and to decide what should happen to me if I am comatose or too ill to communicate, how I want my possessions and my body disposed of after my death, and the events surrounding my burial ceremony when the time comes.
While writing this piece, I went back to my will and updated it based on the changes that have taken place in my life since college. Most updates had to do with the disposing of my possessions. Other things remained the same, including my request to have my body cremated upon my death—an option that, from my experience, most Kenyans do not consider.
I recently watched the movie The Queen, a 2006 British drama directed by Stephen Frears and written by Peter Morgan. The difficulty Queen Elizabeth II experienced in giving up the time-honored traditions she had been raised with reminded me of a similar difficulty I have observed in the Kenyan Diaspora.
The movie is set in 1997. Tony Blair, who had pledged to modernize the country, had just been elected Britain’s new Prime Minister. The Queen was wary of what this modernization meant for her and her family. Diana, Princess of Wales, died soon after setting off a chain reaction of events that dramatically changed the Queen’s world.
Blair’s modern response came in the form of a televised speech the morning after Diana’s death dubbing her the “people’s Princess,” a phrase that caught on quickly. The Queen’s response, in contrast, was intensely private, based on her traditional British and royal upbringing. She felt that Diana’s funeral was a private matter best left to Diana’s family, the Spencers, to organize.
As negative public opinion mounted at the lack of a statement from the Queen regarding Diana’s death, the Queen realized that times had changed and that she no longer understood the people she had led for decades. She finally succumbed to the clamor from various quarters for modernity. Returning to London, she gave a televised statement concerning Diana’s death and attended the state funeralorganized for Diana.
As I pondered the Queen’s struggle to maintain a balance between the time-honored traditions she learned and grew up with and the modern expectations heaped upon her, I couldn’t help but draw a parallel between her situation and another faced by the Kenyan Diaspora today: that of the death of a Kenyan in the Diaspora. I have attended many fundraisers and funeral ceremonies for Kenyans who have died in the US. The focus is usually on raising sufficient money to transport the deceased’s body back to Kenya.
It costs anywhere between twelve thousand dollars and twenty thousand dollars and $20,000.00 to transport a body to Kenya from the US. This does not yet factor in any additional costs that may arise if someone is accompanying the body to Kenya ($1500.00-$2300.00, depending on the season), and if the deceased incurred hospitalization costs before death, which may run upwards of $2,000.00 per day depending on the care administered.
In comparison, figures taken from the North Dallas Funeral Home’s website indicate that cremation would cost no more than $1100.00. The cremated remains could then be transported to Kenya at a much cheaper cost and maybe even as hand luggage or checked in luggage. A suitable urn or casket, as preferred, could be procured on the Kenyan side for the burial. Pictures of the deceased’s body could be taken before cremation for relatives who absolutely have to see a recent likeness of the deceased.
Some Kenyan cultures do not even believe in viewing the body of the deceased; theysimply have the top of the casket nailed down at the mortuary and then transport the body to the burial ground. Sometimes, even in cultures that promote the viewing of the body, the deceased’s body may be in such a terrible condition due to the nature of death (e.g. from gruesome accidents) that there may be no viewing of the body during the funeral ceremony. These situations are, technically, not much different from having a person’s cremated remains interred.
Another option for those who cannot stand the thought of cremation is to have a traditional funeral held at the place where the person died. A basic funeral package at the North Dallas Funeral Home would cost $5520.00. This covers basic services of the funeral director and staff, embalming, dressing and casketing, bathing and handling, post autopsy care, post trauma care, a chapel for thefuneral ceremony or memorial services at the funeral home, graveside service and casket coach. A casket may be procured for an additional fee. Each of the services included in this package are individually itemized and can be removed from the package, if not required, resulting in an even cheaper funeral.
This option would still be more cost effective than transporting a body back to Kenya; however, it may not be the best option to give relatives and friends on the Kenyan side some closure.
My main argument for alternatives to transporting bodies from other countries back to Kenya has to do with cost. The funds raised due to a person’s death could be used to accomplish more if employed to assist those left behind after the death of their loved one. In many cases, Kenyans in the Diaspora play pivotal roles as financial providers for their immediate family in the Diaspora and other relatives in Kenya.
When they die, their families are thrown into financial turmoil, which is only exacerbated by funeral costs and possible hospital bills. If most of the funds raised were used to provide for these families in the difficult months following the deathof their loved one, it would afford them a smoother transition as they adjust to a new scenario in which they can no longer expect provision from the deceased.
Since 1997, Queen Elizabeth II and the British Monarchy have gradually evolved with the times in order to remain relevant to and in tune with their subjects. The monarchy now stands on the cutting edge of technology with a stylish, official website , a YouTube channel and even a twitter account. At the publishing of this article, the monarchy had 13,818 followers on twitter,while I don’t even have a twitter account!
I wonder, can Kenyans evolve with the times as the Queen has?
Both Kenyans in the Diaspora and those living in Kenya would have to
undergo a shift in thinking about traditionally held beliefs or
preferences about burial in order for this to work.
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