Embu Family Seeks Answers After Daughter Buried in Saudi Arabia Without Consent

A family in Embu County is demanding answers after their daughter, Catherine Nyawira, was buried in Saudi Arabia without their knowledge or consent.

Nyawira, who left Kenya in 2011 to work in Saudi Arabia, died on 1 August 2025. Her family in Karuruma village, Runyenjes, was informed that repatriating her body would cost Sh450,000 and that they had 25 days to raise the amount. They immediately began fundraising, expecting her body to arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. 

However, on 16 August, they were told she had already been buried in Saudi Arabia, before the stated deadline had passed. Her father, Damiano Nyaga, said the burial took place without any agreement from the family. 

“Nyawira had two children who had not seen her in 15 years. We want the government to help us bring her home so we can bury her ourselves,” he said.

The family was preparing for her funeral when they received the news of the overseas burial, leaving them without closure. Her mother, Margaret Nyaga, expressed deep sorrow over not being able to see her daughter’s remains. 

“How do I accept that my daughter is gone when I never saw her body? Please bring my child to me. That is the only way I can find peace,” she said.

Nyawira’s sister, Josephine Wanjeru, said Nyawira had been seriously ill in July and had briefly fallen into a coma. After recovering, she had begun preparing documents to return to Kenya for medical care and to reunite with her family, but she passed away before she could travel.

Her daughter, Margaret Karimi, 19, said the loss was devastating. “She always supported me. I’ve just finished high school and was about to join college. We dreamed of finally being together,” she said.

The family has been in contact with the State Department for Diaspora Affairs, but efforts to facilitate repatriation were unsuccessful. Nyawira’s cousin, Sam Mwaniki, who has been handling communication with the authorities, said they had submitted a formal request to the Kenyan embassy in Saudi Arabia before the burial occurred. He also said the department acknowledged that similar cases had occurred.

“The State Department confirmed that this is not the first time. At least six other Kenyans have been buried in Saudi Arabia without the consent of their families,” Mwaniki said, calling for accountability and improved systems for handling such cases.