Choir master collapses, dies moments after falling into open grave during funeral in Busia

A funeral ceremony in Marenga village, Budalang’i of Busia County took a tragic turn when a 28-year-old choir master collapsed and fell into the open grave during the burial of a fellow church member.

Emmanuel Makokha, a church drummer and choir leader, was playing drums beside the grave when he suddenly lost balance, collapsed, and fell inside the open grave as mourners watched in horror. 

Authorities sought to establish whether Makokha had any underlying health conditions that may have led to his collapse.

According to Assistant Chief Alfred Namakira, Makokha had been electrifying mourners with drumbeats, when he suddenly staggered and plunged into the grave.

“One minute he was alive and leading worship, the next he had fallen into the grave. He was rushed to Port Victoria Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival,” Namakira told The Nairobian.

The dramatic turn of events brought the burial to a standstill. Some mourners screamed, others fainted, while a few ran away in panic.

As word of the incident spread across Marenga and neighbouring villages, speculation mounted, and two competing narratives emerged, one rooted in spiritual belief, the other in cultural tradition.

Church members and religious leaders viewed Emmanuel’s death as a divine calling, referencing Ecclesiastes 3:2, which states: “There is a time to be born and a time to die.”

“We believe Emmanuel has gone to be with the Lord. He died while serving, which is a blessing.We reject any talk of curses or traditional beliefs. We are children of light, not fear,” said a church elder.

However, a section of Bunyala elders disagreed, claiming that Makokha’s death was the result of a grave cultural transgression.

According to elder Patrick Ekesa, there are long-standing Luhya customs that strictly prohibit individuals involved in extra-marital affairs with the spouse of the deceased from attending the funeral.

Doing so, he said, is believed to anger the spirit of the dead.

“In our culture, if a man has an affair with another man’s wife and that man dies, the unfaithful partner must not attend the burial. If he does, he risks sudden death. The spirit of the deceased can strike them down,” Ekesa explained.