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The struggle with many a rigid Logooli cultural practices

  The Logooli community is one of the deeply cultured societies – with near everything supposed to have been done as per custom – to allow another custom to follow. One example is that for a mature man (with a child or more) to be buried, there must be a house structure at home. Another is that a boy must be circumcised and nursed in father land. If maternal family decides to, the boy will have a hard time reconnecting with father people - a dent on his masculinity. There were two children who got burnt to death in a house in Nairobi. The single mother had left for night work. Elders were told that one of the children was Logooli. The other, the woman had sired with someone else. The Logooli family wanted to burry their little one and long discussed the do’s and don’ts. Of a man who died childless and the grave was placed as if he had died as a man with children. It should have been dug on the sides, the grave. A real thorn should have been thrust in his buttocks, his name go...

Discordant Voices; Lung'afa's translation

RIUHANA RIE MIOYO JANGE

Mumbisu mwange, dada
Mburiraa riuhana rie mioyo

Murara guhanzuka vogeri na agirigari
Vujira kwitima!

Gundi gwu rusa rwu miandu
Ruyari nu rusuma, viayanzwa
Viavofwa mu rigotwa
Ritiga risura!

Iyi murara gwanira riehozeriza
Mirembe, vurara ne riyanzana
Vutahambwaa
Ni rienya rio vomenyo!

Dada, igo ki?
Agagirigari gange, agariha?
Mwoyo ki murungi?
Na muchamu guriha?

Nuyinga, muyanzi wange,
Murishiushiukanira rimanya
Nirigangamirira zimbemba
Kivara kuduka kikwigizi - Anzigare
Imbisu ye mioyo
Indio vandu vikaragira
Kazozo mioyo kwuhizana!

- Original poem by Chahilu

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