Families in Nairobi who are planning to bury their loved ones may soon have to look for burial grounds outside the city.
This comes after the Ministry of Health announced plans to close Lang’ata Cemetery, Nairobi’s largest and oldest public graveyard.
According to a special task force appointed to assess the condition of the cemetery, Lang’ata has already been full for more than 20 years.
The team says that continued use of the 100-acre site is now a serious health hazard for people living nearby and for the entire city.
Over time, due to the lack of space, people have been burying new bodies in shallow graves, often on top of older graves.
The task force has strongly condemned this practice and is calling for it to stop immediately. They believe this kind of burial disrespects the dead.
It also increases the risk of spreading diseases, especially during the rainy season when water can carry contaminants from the graves.
Act quickly
As a result, the Ministry of Health is now urging the Nairobi County government and other relevant authorities to act quickly.
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They want officials to stop any new burials at Lang’ata and to start helping families find safe and suitable burial sites in neighbouring counties such as Kajiado, Machakos, and Kiambu.
In addition, the committee has recommended that Nairobi plan for a new public cemetery that meets health and environmental standards.
They believe that the city needs a long-term solution to avoid facing similar problems in the future. In summary, the closure of Lang’ata Cemetery is likely to affect many Nairobi residents.
However, the government says the move is necessary to protect public health and to ensure that burials are done in a safe, respectful, and sustainable manner.
