Matibabu Morgue

Need & Opportunity

In Western Kenya, death is not a moment, it is a chapter. Funerals are deeply cultural celebrations of life that can stretch from a week to even a month depending on a family’s traditions and the role the person held in the community. During this period, families need a place where their loved one can be preserved respectfully as they prepare to honor them through their rites and gatherings.

While Ukwala and the surrounding region had a few existing mortuaries, most lacked the infrastructure, hygiene standards, and preservation technology needed to provide dignified care for the deceased. Families were often forced to choose between substandard facilities or expensive mortuaries far away, adding emotional and financial strain during an already painful period.

Solution & Value Add

The Tiba Foundation partnered with Construction for Change to provide a facility that matched the community’s values, a place where families would feel secure knowing their loved one is preserved with dignity, cleanliness, and respect while they prepare for their final send-off. Construction for Change served as the Owner’s Representative for the development of the Serenity Parlor Mortuary Facility, ensuring that the building didn’t just function technically, but resonated emotionally and culturally with the people it was meant to serve.

Today, the Serenity Parlor Mortuary is fully operational and used consistently by families across Ukwala and surrounding villages. Instead of long, costly journeys, loved ones are cared for within their own community; with dignity, affordability, and compassion.