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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...

A song was played at Maliki

Four men, looking married, five I correct, or six if there were any who did not show up as many that formed the band but were not present started playing a song commonly known to us as Mukhangala.

Mukhangala used to  cook, fetch firewood, feed the dogs, be sent here and there, a man of a bent back, of sideways feet. Roseline, the lady boss knew (but the song never played in the past tense) that this Mukhangala of his had been pseudo posing as her husband. He'd been putting on coats that belonged to Roseline's husband, unknown to us in the lyrics.

Jacob Luseno, were he to rise from the dead, he would tell the listeners what surely he did hide in the song. You see, Roseline has found out that beans have spilled, and she wants to wash herself clean by being hard on Mukhangala probably in the presence of that gossiper who brought errant news about Mukhangala.

The song that played at Maliki gave no husband to Roseline either. How was she managing? But there were coats in the closet. These coats, were they of a living man? Mukhangala may have took them to step in some role, a vacant position. The gossiper would have loved to fill it. You do not feel aggrieved for nothing. 

As things stand, the men who sang could be equal hang coats, the night wasting away in the name of entertainment as their Roseline's feel cold. We wouldn't put a criminal record on Mukhangala if he isn't caught. For sure he is the one reading this post, or a beautiful Roseline, none with Mr. Husband tag.

Coming just after Les Wanyika's 'Twende Tz ukawaone wazazi wangu', this mood spoiler song woke any drinker from some comfort thought that all was fine and a dream woman would be taken to some youth's home.  Sustained was the mood with the coming of 'Stella' song. Mukhangala was that short Japanese man.

Daudi Kabaka's 'Twist, twist'spoke of a youth who did not want to go home despite the many letters girls had been sending to have him marry them. In a parody version, 'raha ya Maliki.' It is only Karubandika that comes close, uncompared to Roselyne synonyms - Paulina, Rosy, Shemeji, Julieta, Mrembo wa Mapenzi and many others. They have been sang as deviants, not heroines. Yet imani yangu iko kwako.

Another day also, of another lifetime, when the five men will have long died, in the silver sound of music, for gold is in its services, saniagas will listen to the lyrics of their forefathers best hits and say, 'our old men knew fun!'

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