Kenyan Man Planning to Start Mortuary Seeks Advice On Capital Needed

A Kenyan man triggered hilarious reactions after seeking advice on how to start a morgue business.

The man identified as Ben Benson posted in the popular Facebook group Tujengane Business Ideas Plug group.

Benson inquired how much money he needed to open a mortuary that could accommodate 20 to 30 bodies.

He revealed he has a building for the business but only needs the financial breakdown.

“Hello members, how much money do I need to open a mortuary which can accommodate 20-30 corpses? Already I have a building,” Benson asked.

The question left responses bordering on the comical, netizens wondered why he ventured into the business.

Do you have ready stock? – Nel Son asked.

Alar! Why are you asking us as if it’s a common business like selling mandazi? – MinSonia NyarAnyango questioned.

I think you should think about a police station instead of this one yawa – Ricky Kyle said.

Some netizens also contributed with ideas and broke down the cost of starting a morgue.

A freezer that can hold 50 bodies should range from 4 to 4.5M. That is big enough but if traffic increases you can opt to expand to simple cold rooms. This can hold bodies due in a day or less to allow them to thaw as you admit the newbies into the freezer. Good luck – Juddy Lenny advised.

Just visit Lee Funeral Home and Montezuma Watakupatia for a good quotation – Willie Wily said.

Visit an existing morgue take pictures of the beds, and talk to the attendant. You will get some tips. Talk to the funds around you and if possible get a hearse, trolley and lowering gear. These will give you an upper hand – Dorothy Odhiambo added.

Lee Funeral Home owner

WoK previously covered the profile of John Lee, owner of Lee Funeral Home.

Lee Funeral Home was set up in 1987. It’s named after John Lee, a Kenyan-born British.

He was raised in Kenya but went back to the UK in 1963.

There, he joined the police force and was assigned medical duties where he interacted a lot with pathologists and undertakers.

“I was born and educated here in Nairobi and in 1963 my parents and I went back to the UK then in 1964 I joined the main police force and after a while, they put me into Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge to work for the coroner’s office so I was dealing with pathologists and the undertakers every day,”

“I then came back to Kenya in 1968 and was saddened by the deplorable condition of the city mortuary,” Lee said.

At the time, then-Attorney General Charles Njonjo who was chairman of Nairobi Hospital asked Lee to seriously consider setting up a morgue.