Wilfred Murungi, a former tycoon industrialist, was known for his reclusive nature, even in death. When he passed away in 2019, there were more policemen than mourners at his funeral. The villagers at his ancestral Maara constituency in Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya, had hoped to give him a proper send-off, but they were kept at bay by the police, who had been hired by the family to ensure that the tycoon was buried privately.
Murungi’s body was transported to his final resting place in a waiting Mercedes Benz hearse, after being flown in by two choppers that landed in a nearby primary school. The villagers were not allowed to view the body, and even those who had been hired to dig his grave were asked to leave the compound until the burial was underway. The former billionaire’s grave was almost half-filled by the time they were allowed in. This was not the first time such an incident had occurred. In 2012, when his wife died, Murungi did not attend the funeral and immediately left for Nairobi once the body had landed in the village on a chopper.
Murungi was considered one of the richest people in his village at the time. He worked as an engineer for British American Tobacco (BAT) before quitting to set up Mastermind Tobacco Company, the maker of Superman brand of cigarettes. Despite his wealth, Murungi maintained a private life, which remained a mystery even in death. His village mates were not allowed to view his body
