Video of unusual coffin design in upright posture stuns netizens

• A viral video showing a uniquely designed upright coffin being loaded onto a hearse sparked mixed reactions online
• The coffin, shaped like a chair, requires the deceased to be placed in a sitting posture, something that left many stunned
• NgGossips spoke to Evans Mabia of the Bukusu community, who explained why the coffin was made that way and noted that the unusual burial style is linked to the Balunda clan

A video showing a coffin being loaded onto a hearse has gone viral, igniting mixed reactions and questions online.

The clip, shared on TikTok by Smiley Production, captured four men lifting the unique casket, seemingly carrying the body of the deceased from a mortuary to a parked vehicle.

Somber music was played in the background in Luhya vernacular as mourners captured in the clip appeared visibly grief-stricken.

The coffin was dark brown in colour, carefully crafted like a block chair with rails on both sides, just as normal coffins are usually made.

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Its bend formed a 90-degree angle, meaning its occupant would be laid in a fully upright position before being lowered into the grave.

The men carrying the unique coffin ensured it fit properly inside the vehicle before proceeding to the funeral venue.

Is burying loved ones in a sitting coffin common practice?

The sitting coffin is reportedly common among the Balunda clan of the Bukusu community of the Luhya people. It is mostly used to bury men, especially elders of the community.

NgGossips spoke to Evans Mabia from the Bukusu community, who shared that the Balunda practise this to immortalise their leader, Malunda, who is said to have died while sitting on an anthill.

He noted that while the unusual practice has become less common over time, some people still uphold it to honour the departed in a manner that reflects tradition, dignity, and ancestral reverence.

“To them, this practice of burying the dead in a sitting posture symbolises respect, continuity of life, and the transition to the ancestral realm. Not everyone qualifies to be buried while sitting; hence it also reflects one’s status in the community,” Mabia explained.

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Netizens react to sitting coffin

Ken Makhara:

“The Isukha, we also have this practice.”

Stella Nyar Kisii:

“I have an honest question, so how does the body lie inside there?”

Rono Amos:

“Do they still dig a six-foot grave, or how many feet is that one dug?”

Family breaks coffin to make deceased kin sit up

In other news, NgGossips reported that a video of mourners attempting to make their deceased loved one sit up in a coffin left many stunned.

The clip showed the coffin resting in the grave, before several men jumped in and began breaking parts of it to position the deceased in a sitting posture.

After breaking sections of the coffin, they lifted the body upright, leaving the deceased in a seated position, which appeared to satisfy the mourners.

Family members then did the final burial rites before covering the grave with soil as the air was filled with sorrow and pain.

Source: NgGossips