CHURCH BISHOP TO BE BURIED AT HOUSEMAID’S HOUSE

A wealthy cleric who has been lying in the morgue for close to two years over a burial dispute between his wives will finally be laid to rest.

This is after the court released the body of Bishop Musa Magodo to the third wife Alice Ingaiza who was once a housemaid for the family in the early 90’s.

He will be buried in his home at Gataka, Kajiado County as per his last wishes and each of the family members will participate including his other wives.

Gladys Nekesa moved to court in 2019 after Magodo’s death seeking orders to bury her late husband in Kitale saying she is the legal wife.

The body has been at Umash Funeral Home since September 2019 following the dispute on who to bury him.

She claimed that Ingaiza was employed as a housemaid to look after the deceased children but they began an affair which led Magodo to throw her (Nekesa) out of her matrimonial home.

Interestingly, Nekesa is a second wife and only got married to the late archbishop after he chased his first wife Margaret who had four kids with him.

Ingaiza, the third wife, was hired as a nanny to take care of Margaret’s children and Nekesa’s child but Magodo ended up marrying her too.

Justice Lydia Achode on Tuesday ended the two-year impasse on who is the legal wife ruling Ingaiza had more rights even though the other two are equally his wives too.

“It is therefore evident that despite their separation and their not living with the deceased, the deceased still held a special place for both Margaret and Nekesa and wanted to keep them appraised of his health,” the judge held.

The late Magodo never formally divorced Margaret or Nekesa as is stipulated in customary law so they remain his wives.

The court found that it was Ingaiza who lived with and provided consortium in the last two decades of the deceased’s life and walked with him through illness till he breathed his last.

“On this basis, the Court finds it fit that the deceased’s body be released to Ingaiza for burial,” Judge Achode said.

Justice Achode further noted that even though Magodo chased his first two wives none left with their children and the existing wife was left to raise them.

In their testimony, the children now adults married with their families said they had been raised in their Karen home by Ingaiza who was once their housemaid.

On the issue of cost, the judge said none of the wives will be slapped with costs because Magodo is the author of all his misfortunes as he never put his marital affairs in order.

However, Judge Achose said the costs of the suit shall be paid from Magodo’s vast estate.

The court also allowed DNA samples to be extracted from him to ascertain if Ingaiza’s children are his kids saying this will ensure that once interred, the deceased’s body remains undisturbed and he can finally rest in peace.

By The Star Kenya