The art of mourning for a living

Funerals have all their pomp and rituals in the world over and in Kenya, none are famed for their practices as the Luo. In a very modernistic world, Luos have to maintain funeral rituals just like many other Kenyan tribes. Having lived in the cosmopolitan yet dominantly Luo city of Kisumu, I can safely say that funerals are a big deal that can bring the town to a standstill.

Every Friday the bodies of the deceased are released from the mortuary. Unless one is a Muslim, Luo burials tend to last more than a week. The wake may be done in the town residence before heading to the village home. The wake allows relatives, friends, acquaintances and the prominent people enough time to view the body for the last time. This is why it is unheard of that in Luo Nyanza, the wrong body was picked from the mortuary or buried. The wake is most crucial at night where it is culturally believed to keep the spirit of the deceased company as it begins the transition to the afterlife. Ironically, the mood may be one of happiness with music, dance and feasting. Hence the name disco matanga that has a gained a notoriety for aiding spread of HIV/AIDS and immorality among the locals. Churches have come up against the move by having keshas or night praise-and-worship sessions. The financial burden of wakes has long been debated in favour of doing away with them or minimising the duration- pretty much like an expensive wedding that leaves the newly married couple penniless.