Kenya among most expensive countries to die in, says report

From slaughtering animals to buying new suits and expensive caskets for the dead, Kenya is one of the most expensive places to die, according to a new study.

Kenyans spend more than 20 per cent of their annual income to send off their loved ones in lavish funeral rituals putting it among the top countries in the world with expensive funeral budgets relative to their average incomes.

The bereaved are expected to host and feed friends and relatives often visiting from far flung areas and staying for days or even weeks.

Families and friends now resort to borrowing and crowd-funding to give their loved ones a decent send-off.

“Much of the funeral costs depend on the cultures, traditions and religion in the area.

Countries with more beliefs that involve the burying and laying to peace of the dead generally rack-up more costs,” the Cost of Dying Report by Life Insurance provider, Sun Life shows.

Mortuary bills

A lot of the expenses arise from mortuary bills, caskets, traditional rituals, transportation, burial sites and others.

About 500 Kenyans have so far died of coronavirus but strict government regulations on handling of victims has seen funeral costs go down giving relief to already cash strapped households.

Most Kenyans have been laid off and their disposable income is too low to cover any funeral costs. 

The government is also helping to cater for the costs by handling the disposal of  coronavirus victims.

State of Dying Report comes at a time when many Kenyans have been complaining to the government that their loved ones are not accorded a decent send-off.

Because of the regular fundraising at funerals, many Kenyans, especially in rural areas now belong to funerals saving clubs or burial societies where they pay weekly or monthly contributions.

Kenyans spend between Sh50,000 and over Sh300,000 to settle the bill for their deceased with many resorting to fundraising.

Most burials, especially among the poor are estimated to average around Sh50,000. 

Given that most Kenyans earn about Sh240,000 a year, it means that Kenyans spend over 20 per cent of their annual income to send off their loved ones.

Contributions from family and friends as well as from welfare associations are the main ways of funding funeral expenses in Kenya.

Other ways involve borrowing from banks, Saccos, shylocks or other financiers.

“We are living in different times and the reality is that it is becoming difficult to fundraise for funerals,” said the report.

Families that take their loved ones home or upcountry incur a lot more on funerals than those that do not due to transport and mortuary charges accumulating during fundraising sessions.

An estimated 63 per cent of families in Kenya decline into poverty after burying their loved ones due to expensive funeral rituals.

Many Kenyans are left in poverty for years after an expensive funeral for their loved as people feast and leave the bereaved with debts to pay.

“I think what is needed is a change of attitude towards Life Insurance, people should plan for their funerals too, you can’t just live other people to shoulder all your funeral costs,” said Abel Munda, the MD of Liberty Insurance.

Deaths are more expensive among communities in western Kenya where funeral rituals are expensive and elaborate.

Long distances

Each and every member of the family has to donate so that they can take their loved ones home. 

People have to travel for long distances from towns to attend funerals which sometimes means they have to borrow since they did not anticipate the death of their loved ones. 

Most of the families are left struggling to pay school fees and even pay food after shouldering expensive funerals costs.