Death is, in popular parlance, an inevitable destiny. It brings to a grinding halt the ebb flow of human life. Oddly enough it is the single significant human event -its guaranteed occurrence notwithstanding- that nearly often catches us unaware. Quite paradoxical, isn't it? Whereas some death incidents are somehow predictable, for instance, where a terminally ill patient is bedridden for a long period, others happen in a frightening speed without any presage. Such spontaneous deaths mostly result from accidents and are known to inflict immense shock and grieve to the deceased's kith and kin. The circumstances notwithstanding, the bottom line is that a person close and dear to you is ultimately gone and irreversibly so. The emotional pain could be amplified if you are responsible for funeral arrangements. There are numerous and sometimes quick decisions you'll have to make and this at a time when you are emotionally distressed makes the undertaking even more daunting. This however need not be the case. Basically the circumstances under which the death occurs provide you ample insight on how to proceed.
When a person dies in a hospital immediately inform family members and friends. The family members then decide, for instance, whether to have the body preserved in that hospital's morgue or have it transferred to their preferred funeral home or whether to have an autopsy carried out.
When a person dies at home i.e. from natural causes notify the police first so as to issue you a letter to present to the morgue or funeral home requesting them to receive and preserve the body of your loved one pending completion of burial arrangements.
In a situation where a person dies under unknown circumstances or has committed suicide then the police have to be informed so that they can undertake their investigations (and report to the resident magistrate who opens an inquest file) before collecting the body and take it to the morgue for autopsy which is mandatory. Police too have to investigates any death arising from an accident and have an autopsy carried out before the body can be released for burial.
THE ACTUAL FUNERAL ARRANGEMENT
The types of funeral held in Kenya are as diverse as there are communities. Basically, funeral practices are governed by religious and cultural traditions, costs and personal preferences. Such factors help determine whether to have a public or private funeral, simple or elaborate, religious or secular and where it will be held. They also influence whether there will be viewing of the body and also whether the remains are buried or cremated.
Despite of the glaring disparities in the funeral practices among our communities, certain decisions have to be made regarding:
- ¢ Place of Burial
- ¢ Casket
- ¢ Transport
- ¢ Obituary
- ¢ Flowers
- ¢ Cremation (if the deceased left such a wish)
- ¢ Officiating Clergy
- ¢ Burial Permit
Organizing a funeral is a daunting experience for you have to manage the emotional feelings of loss as well as the planning hassles.
An alternative to planning the funeral by yourself is to enlist the help of funeral service providers known to offer a wide range of services including: body storage and embalming, sale of caskets, hearse services, hire transport services, expatriation and repatriation of bodies among others. Here you can negotiate for their services as a package depending on your needs and still for a single service if that's what you require.
Besides the actual burial plans you also need to:
- Gather Important Documents
- You need to look for wills, deeds, insurance policies, business agreements, stocks certificates / investment account statements, bank books / Accounts statements, social security card, tax forms, marriage certificates, birth certificates of minors, spouse's birth certificate and other important documents regarding the deceased as they will come in handy in filing a final tax return and settling the certificate.
Now what if your dear one dies and you do not know where such documents are? See this next article
