When Brian Chira was buried, the peaceful community was disturbed by inebriated Tiktokers
Image: Mourners attending tiktoker Brian Chira's burial ceremony at the family home in Gathanje, Githunguri in Kiambu County on March 26,2024.EVANS HABILOn Tuesday, March 26, TikToker Brian Chira was laid to rest at his grandmother’s ancestral land in Gitei village, Gathanje, Kiambu County. The burial ceremony drew a crowd of prominent figures from the content creator community, known as the ‘Chira Clan,’ leaving the villagers astonished.
They had never witnessed such a large and rowdy gathering of young people before. The Chira friends and fans showed little regard for the elders in the village, disrupting the usual solemnity of the burial proceedings.
Typically, Chira, 23, would have been buried by his immediate family, schoolmates, and some neighbors. However, this was not the case, as even religious leaders were not given a chance to lead the service at the gravesite.
Disorder ensued as hundreds of TikTokers gathered around the gravesite, some of them intoxicated and behaving disorderly. The villagers and even family members stood back, allowing them to bury their friend without fully comprehending what was happening.
Instead of simply covering the grave with soil, they scattered the soil and began planting flowers. They danced, recorded videos, and took selfies around Chira’s resting place. Following the burial, TikTokers conducted rituals at Chira’s gravesite, including watering the flowers with alcohol.
One villager expressed sadness at the use of strong language by the TikTokers, such as “Hatuna maisha” (We have no lives). The villagers felt disrespected and were concerned about the negative impact of such behavior on their community’s reputation.
They hoped to never witness such behavior again and planned to hold a cleansing ceremony to remove any lingering negative spirits. The villagers were particularly upset by the disrespect shown to their traditions and the lack of reverence for the deceased.
When asked if they blamed the upbringing of the TikTokers, one villager noted that many of them were raised well but had picked up inappropriate behavior as they ventured into the world. They felt that the mixing of church and worldly behavior was inappropriate and disrespectful.
Chira tragically lost his life in a hit-and-run accident, and the TikTok community raised funds to support his grandmother, Esther Njeri. Despite the financial support, the villagers were dismayed by the disrespectful behavior displayed during Chira’s burial, feeling that it did not honor his memory appropriately.
