A man from kirinyaga has been granted his wish of getting married before his burial after dying three weeks shy of his scheduled wedding.
The wedding and funeral service occurred at Our Lady Consolata Rukenya Church in Gichugu.
Martin Gitari, 60, died from a short illness on Saturday, March 16, 2024, leaving behind his fiancée, Beatrice Muthoni. The pair had been looking forward to their wedding, scheduled for Saturday, April 6th, 2024, in the same church where the burial occurred.
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Despite the sad circumstances, Martin's family, led by his sister Pear Wambui, passionately chose to combine the funeral and wedding services.
"We are celebrating two occasions, burying him and at the same time celebrating his marriage," Wambui explained, emphasizing the significance of honoring Martin's wishes.
Father Sammy Njoroge of Kutus Catholic Parish presided over the ceremony, his first time performing on such an unusual occasion.
"This is my first such occasion since I became a priest, and we have done exactly what he wanted," Father Njoroge said, emphasizing the significance of carrying out Martin's final requests.
Martin's devastated fiancée, Beatrice Muthoni, began the series of activities by placing a wedding ring on his departed husband's finger at the mortuary before heading to church for an elaborate ceremony that included song, dance, and cake cutting.
Beatrice celebrated the "wedding" at the chapel by having her grandson place a ring on her finger. Beatrice Muthoni felt happy and sad when she placed the wedding ring on Martin's finger.
After the "wedding," Beatrice changed her clothes before heading to Gichugu for her late husband's funeral.
