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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...

The Yalwala


Ogirwa the old is said to have come from Mbale - Idavaga. Something happened. Whenever his children wished to go back and reclaim his land, he grew angry. And warned. 

He gave birth to one funny and cheeky ancestor nicknamed Riguruguru. His name was Zakariah Lung'aho. He could tune to some song 'Riguruguru zanangwa ngani rivozanga!' whenever drunk with ibusa. 

A people of Maraha clan lived then at Chavakali from where there is a cereal board compound downwards. But they were also silent under the leadership of Ogora, a leader from the Masingira clan that tended to have a low look on other clans around. Our charismatic Riguruguru not only gained his favour but came to be established when he married a Masingira girl. Riguruguru only had a sister that was married at Maravi. No brothers. The Saniaga families in Lunyerere were distant and only treated as close brothers. His land now, gotten from the Maraha, extended down from the Cereal Board to the road that heads to Bukulunya. There where a Luo later introduced a Printing press and won himself two beautiful Masingira girls. 

Riguruguru was a dealer in skins and hides. He was chief in the cattle market at Stendkisa and Ogora liked him so - for favours. Even the cereal board place for sometime had the name of Visero. 

Days went by and Adagi ruled the area. Riguruguru was then getting smaller and smaller. He was a world war fighter. He had a bone disease. One day while drunk, it happened. 

Fellow drunkers snarled this, 'we gave you a wife, we gave you land. What are you?' It made him marry a second wife, Migango. 

Adagi was one time in such hatred dragging him to court in unclear reason of the time. As savage as you can assume. A shouting match ensued. And this is what Riguruguru told Adagi: 'My family will be as stars in the sky, great men and great leaders.'

NB
Did you know that some clans/families due to conflicts or such taboos did not share water springs? Maraha and Maroka are an example. It happened even at the coming of Churches that if they were in a similar place different churches of the same faith were to be built. 

With Thanks

-: The Saniaga of Chavakali are cousins to thise of Lunyerere. Exact association eludes me to date but my father pointed me there when I needed wazee to escort me to things like Dowry negotiation.... A patriach in the family died recently, Gadonya was his name. Wish you had chance to interview him. His son Kigarave is a great father figure to me uptodate. Lunyerere and chavakali Saniagas are cousins

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