"When I Die, Take Me to Kariokor": Radio host MAINA KAGENI reveals his final wishes and urges Kenyans to embrace cremation

Tuesday, April 15, 2025 - Veteran radio host, Maina Kageni, has revealed a deeply personal detail about his final wishes - he wants to be cremated.

Speaking candidly during the Morning Conversation with co-host Mwalimu King’ang’i, Maina said his preference for cremation is clearly stated in his will.

“I will be cremated when I die. It’s even in my will,” he said.

“The day after I die, I’ll be in Kariokor. I don’t even want a requiem mass.”

His remarks come after the Ministry of Health recommended immediate closure of Lang’ata Cemetery due to overcrowding, with reports of bodies being buried in shallow graves atop others.

“Lang’ata Cemetery, which has long been a preferred burial site, was declared full more than 20 years ago,” Maina noted.

“It’s time for us to move away from traditional burial practices. We need to let go of some of this ‘Africanness.’”

Maina also criticised modern funeral customs as overly elaborate and impersonal.

“Hundreds of people show up who didn’t even know the deceased.”

“It’s just a formality now,” he said.

“In a few years, there’ll be no land left in Kenya. And you can’t even sell land with graves.”

Maina joins a growing list of high-profile Kenyans who chose cremation, including Ken Okoth (Former Kibra MP), Bob Collymore (Former Safaricom CEO), Wangari Maathai (Environmentalist and Nobel Laureate) and Kenneth Matiba (Former Politician).

The Kenyan DAILY POST

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