This archive report was first published on 10 January 2020.
January 10, 2020, marked a day of shock and confusion for a family in Embu, Kenya, after they prepared for the funeral of their 24-year-old son, Stephen Kivuti.
According to his father, James Nyaga, Kivuti had been admitted to the Embu Level Five Teaching and Referral Hospital on January 1, 2020, after being referred from another hospital due to excessive drinking.
Despite initial hopes for his recovery, Kivuti's condition worsened, and his family was informed that he had passed away. In a bizarre twist, the family and residents of Mbita Location in Mbeere South Sub-county began making funeral preparations, including printing a eulogy and setting aside a spot for his grave.
However, on Wednesday, January 8, 2020, the family and burial preparation committee visited the hospital to finalize mortuary fees payment, only to find Kivuti alive and receiving treatment in his initial bed.
His father, James Nyaga, explained that Kivuti had gone on a drinking spree to celebrate the new year and was found unconscious by his siblings. He was rushed to Kiritiri Level Four hospital, where doctors declared they could not resuscitate him due to his serious condition.
The family was left stunned, and the funeral preparations were immediately halted. The area chief, Josphat Nyaga, and chairman of the burial committee, Njoroge Kimani, confirmed the bizarre event, stating that the money raised for the funeral would be left to the family to care for Kivuti's needs.
