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Chahilu’s Funeral; Logooli Culture in action

Guuga Chahilu was respectfully laid to rest at his home on Saturday 14th June 2025. Having passed on at Mbale Referral Hospital on 31st May 2025, the two weeks leading to his burial were full of cultural discussions. His passing on is a great loss to the Logooli Language and Culture Family as he was a custodian and informer of Luhya Indigenous Knowledge. An observation as to how the funeral proceeded leads us to revist Logooli traditions amidst modern realities.  One, having left the house alive and now coming back in state, Chahilu was to be taken inside the house, placed muihiilu for a moment and then officially taken out in wait for earth burial. His casket was able to enter the doors. There are cases where the dead would find it difficult to be taken in and then out due to an oversized casket or thin door. A man or a lady of his house who died out of home has to be taken in the house for a last ritual mark. But if the person had died inside, he or she would not be brought bac...
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MOON; 04-09-2015 (New Adventure)


You read about yesterday and where I was planning to go. I am there.

There is a comment I however noted it did not appear on the very post. Internet wrangles. I was still thinking of the beggars who were playing music on the road. There was an idea that it can happen that they will no longer beg again. There used to be no beggars before. And if we can constructively bring them on board, that is a problem solved and the son of soil will have done his purpose. I could not see the moon in the morning and therefore I continued to itch from late bedbugs.

The comment was of a spectacular show in the sky. I had dreamt that there were so many moons in different shapes and stars bright in the sky at once! And then came acronym words with hidden meaning coming and going in the sky. I sensed a warning.

And so after activities in the day- meeting more beggars in town and thinking about them- we left to Ukambani. It was Odhiambo’s first time. I met brother Wambua in Machakos. We then stood in the full bus and had a moving journey.

On alighting, I could not look down. Eyes were up. See! See! They must be galaxies! How well the stars ruled up there. The light caused shadows! Yes! When my eyes looked down well, I saw my shadow! I wanted to live once again. I wanted to take off to one star. I walked swiftly and gladly on the dusty road and shrubby land.

A wedding ceremony. Traditional. There was no place to sleep. But there was a fire and music to keep me up. After all, my eyes have not known the advantages of sleep for a week or so. It was time to punish them. And just then, sitting, turning my eyes back, there the skies spoke! A golden moon, reflecting golden light…I could see a glow. Odhiambo could not do otherwise but to join me in picture taking and listening to my illusions. 

The moon shone till I saw a different sun. The sun that would herald another moon. It is included in the next moon…keep posted.

How comfortably the golden moon sat in the sky!

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