Skip to main content

Featured

Posted by

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...
Post a Comment
Read more
Posted by

Maragoli Cultural Event - 26/12/2017

8.00am - There were no enough tents. A few old men had arrived. Women were sweeping dust when they'd have just hand-picked the leaves. The sun had risen of course.

9.00am - Volunteers take up the mantle. A few wanted pay. Sits are placed. The political podium is raised. A youth tells me that were it not for Politicians there would be no cultural event.

10.00am - A few people arrive. They start occupying the seats. A few artefacts are placed about, tables arriving late. The loud speakers sing so loud to draw confusion away.

11.00am - Vihiga County Governor arrives without much a do. He is escorted only by the Chairperson to the event and a few personal facebookers. He is considered a mean leader that he least gives out money. And he leaves no message to anyone (see me later, 'Cabinet Secretary X, take this contact'). He walks away, unceremoniously!

12.00pm - Musalia Mudavadi arrives and it's all claps -a few. He is asked to the sits first. Then he later walked around escorted by other leaders, on a less than 50metres stretch, a show of no passion or support for local cultural event. He seems passive to everything yet he is the Patron.

1.00pm - The speeches commence after some quickly solicited entertainment moments. The Chairperson takes few minutes, facing the seated nobles. And they head to politics of course. Lead by COTU sec Gen, Atwoli himself, of gold rings and chains, they ask people to avoid clanism. They speak of cultural diversity with cheeks in the tongue. A question is thrown to Mudavadi, 'Why are you latening the swearing in of Raila as the people's president?

2.00pm - Chants of 'Uhuru must go' rent the air when Eugene Wamalwa arrives. He is a minister in Uhuru government and people here are against Uhuru. It ends with rubber bullets. Everyone in a frenzy. Like a huricane swept about. It was a reaction by the security to stone throwing on Wamalwa's car as he left.

3.00pm - No one seems to listen to what is being said. Behind, a group of drummists play awesome music. They sing to Mudavadi, to women and to nothing -Alela lela lela, alelalelalelaa!

4.00pm - Walk aways, kids by the roads, crowded place. No one seems to be in the mood for anything. As quickly as possible, tents are brought down. Mbale is deserted. The cultural event is ended!

Comments

Post a Comment