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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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Do you work on Saturdays?

The Saturday question came to the attention during one of our ad hoc meetings. It had been talked about in the general meeting and people had decided to brush it away, complained the chair. So he started by asking everyone where he was last Saturday that there was no office attendance.

I took my husband to the hospital- that is understood. I am sorry, said a stupid one. I was here all the days long, bragged one of us. I lied that I chair a certain committee to sound big and thoroughly occupied. Then the floor was opened for discussion.

Some had noted that they are Jehovah witnesses and had earlier on turned down Saturday’s work. I struggled to say that the day is aimed at having a person do other things away from job’s work-visits, hang away, get a part time job. That would have eased them for it is expected that a person should all week be occupied with the organization’s work. I cried that it was overtime and some pay should be added. To conclude, I defended that if we were to ballot it no one would vote Yes for Saturday apart from the motion mover. He quickly responded that no one would work on Friday too. In my mind I responded that people work on Friday because they are paid for it and it would be so even on Sundays.

If work is well done, the reports forwarded, the lazy men asked to tighten their ass, there is no need for Saturday. An organization whose capacity is well managed needs not to have work for Saturday. And if there is great need for Saturday, then one person can be in for clients incase there are. On special occasions staffs can be requested to be in for the whole weekend. I was for this reasoning and applauded it silently before the head spoke.

This organization got a culture- he thundered. His push for Saturday is nothing but to have him use the staff for other off work duties. When you go to an organization, do what people have been doing. That is the start of failing and poor inculcation of a new member. Saying a must for Saturday was his first reaction before beginning to say that the day would be used for paperwork, week summary, forecasting for the next week and all that. I was listening no more. He had come to drive the wedge in our minds- not get reasonable.


It is upon him and the organization. An organized person can do tomorrow’s work today. Attendance doesn’t mean working. And working could be just looking busy. 

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