The Kerugoya Law Courts has cleared the burial of Racheal Muthoni Wandeto, bringing to an end a legal dispute that had temporarily halted her final send-off.
Wandeto attracted national attention after publicly expressing her support for William Ruto, including tattooing the President’s image on her body. Following her death, President Ruto contributed KSh 1.6 million toward her funeral arrangements.
Her burial plans were suspended on May 28, 2026, after her partner, Peter Njaramba, obtained court orders seeking to have her buried at their home in Murang’a County.
The legal challenge caused confusion among mourners who had gathered at Kerugoya Stadium awaiting the release of her body from Montezuma Monalisa Funeral Home before learning that the burial had been postponed pending a court determination.
In a ruling delivered on Wednesday, Resident Magistrate Harrison Kariuki directed that Wandeto’s body be released to her mother, Sarah Njeri, for burial.
The court found that although Wandeto and Njaramba had two children together, they were not legally or traditionally married. According to the ruling, no dowry had been paid, a factor the court considered significant under the applicable customary practices governing burial rights.
Speaking after the judgment, family lawyer Gitau Kahiga said the court determined that Njaramba had not traditionally married the deceased and therefore did not have the legal right to control her burial arrangements.
As a result of the ruling, Wandeto will now be laid to rest at Kabumbu Village in Kirinyaga Central.
The family is expected to announce the burial date in the coming days, bringing closure to a dispute that had delayed funeral preparations and attracted widespread public interest.
