Kiambu County Deputy Governor Rosemary Kirika has come under fire for allegedly defying a court order and obstructing the burial of her adoptive father, the late Mzee Mburu Kinani, following a prolonged dispute over his final resting place.
Mzee Mburu Kinani passed away on November 20, 2024. Since then, his body has remained at the AIC Kijabe Hospital mortuary as a result of a highly contentious burial disagreement involving his stepdaughter, Deputy Governor Kirika.
The legal dispute was settled on June 12, 2025, when the court ruled that the late Kinani be buried at his ancestral home in Gatanga, Murang’a County. The judgment directed that his body be released to his biological daughters, but only in the presence of Deputy Governor Kirika.
However, Kirika has been accused of intentionally failing to present herself at the hospital, thereby preventing the body from being released and the burial from proceeding. This alleged defiance has left the deceased’s body lying in the morgue, despite the court’s clear instructions for a dignified burial.
Advocate Stanley Kinyanjui, who represented Kinani’s biological daughters, alongside Lawyer Danstan Omari, criticized Kirika’s actions as a blatant subversion of the rule of law. He argued that her conduct is especially troubling given her senior position in government, calling it a disgrace to both the Kenyan Constitution and the people she serves in Kiambu County.
As the standoff continues, calls have intensified for the Deputy Governor to comply with the court’s directive and allow the burial to proceed without further delay.
