Elders alarmed as 'Reggae na Lami' funeral stunts replace sacred Luhya burial traditions

For generations, the Luhya community has maintained elaborate burial customs conducted not only to honour the dead but also to protect the living.

Among the Luhya sub-tribes, death is treated with immense respect, and every ritual performed during mourning is believed to ensure that the deceased rests peacefully while protecting the family and community from misfortune.

However, not all deaths are accorded similar treatment, burial rites normally differ depending on the cause of death.

Those who die from natural causes are accorded the customary mourning and burial rites, while deaths resulting from accidents, murder, suicide, drowning or mob justice are traditionally handled differently because they are considered “unnatural”.

While natural deaths are often marked by solemn mourning, certain special rituals are usually performed when death occurs suddenly or under unnatural circumstances.

According to traditional beliefs, when a person dies through murder, drowning, a road accident or suicide, their spirit remains unsettled and attached to the place where the death occurred.

This is why rituals were traditionally performed at such sites to appease the spirits and prevent similar tragedies from recurring. 

If a deceased person whose body is being collected from the mortuary succumbed to unnatural causes, custom demands that the body first be taken to the scene of death, where elders conduct special prayers and rituals.

Depending on the circumstances, a sheep or a hen may be slaughtered to cleanse the area and protect the family from further calamity.

Those involved in performing the rituals are also required to undergo cleansing before returning to their homes. However, a new phenomenon is rapidly eroding rituals that are highly valued by elders within the Banyala, Banyore, Batsotso, Bukusu, Idakho, Isukha, Kabras, Khayo, Kisa, Marachi, Maragoli, Marama, Samia, Tachoni, Tiriki and Wanga communities.

Changing traditions

The “Reggae na Lami” procession accorded to those who die suddenly, through accidents or violence, is side-stepping traditional practices and raising concerns among elders over the blatant disregard of rituals believed to ward off bad omens.

This phenomenon involves large convoys of boda bodas, tuk-tuks and canter lorries escorting the body from the mortuary amid blaring reggae music, incessant hooting and emotional chants.

To outsiders, the spectacle resembles a political rally or celebrations following a football victory, but to many young people in Western Kenya, it represents a final show of love and solidarity for the deceased.

In the eyes of elders, the Reggae na Lami phenomenon, which recently played out during the burial of Derrick Machanje, a Sigalagala National Polytechnic student shot dead by police in Kakamega town during protests against high fuel costs, is in stark contrast to long-held customs.

Sensing trouble ahead of his burial, police secretly removed Machanje’s body from the mortuary at night and transported it to his parents’ home in a bid to avoid unrest.

However, angered youths had planned to escort the body during the day. The youths, numbering in their hundreds, stormed Machanje’s homestead in Lubao, Shinyalu Sub-county, and forcefully took possession of the body to accord it a Reggae na Lami send-off.

Maxwell Isendi, one of the youths who participated in the procession, said the ritual was non-negotiable. “Even if police are deployed in large numbers, that cannot stop us from performing what we believe is our cultural duty. We cannot bury our fellow youth like a dog. We must give them a dignified send-off,” stated Isendi.

While grudgingly accepting the Reggae na Lami phenomenon, elders argue that the younger generation is ignoring important traditional requirements.

David Khalukhana, Chief Adviser of the Luhya Council of Elders, says violent deaths traditionally required the involvement of at least four elders who would conduct prayers and rituals at the scene of death.

Among the 17 Luhya sub-tribes, the chasing away of demonic spirits during a ritual known as Olunganyo, Musambwa or Khusiola is intended to release the deceased’s spirit and prevent it from haunting the living. “Traditionally, elders would visit the place where the person died and perform special prayers in the presence of the body. The purpose was to tell the deceased to go in peace and not return to trouble those left behind,” explains Khalukhana.

According to him, specific animals were slaughtered depending on the gender of the deceased.   “A ram would be slaughtered for a man and an ewe for a woman, although sometimes a chicken would suffice. The purpose was to cleanse the family and ensure such a tragedy did not happen again,” he says.

The official is worried about the rate at which such practices are disappearing. “I have been seeing our youth engage in Reggae na Lami activities while ignoring important rituals. They sideline elders, and no cleansing ceremonies are being performed,” notes Khalukhana.

He further claims that traditional cleansing protected those who participated in the rituals from spiritual contamination. “Those who conducted these ceremonies were themselves cleansed before returning home. Today, many young people do not want to listen or learn because of modern influences,” says Khalukhana.

Musa Juma recalls stories passed down by older generations about cleansing ceremonies that were performed long after burials. “The purpose was to remove misfortune associated with death and prevent more tragedies from occurring in the village,” said Juma.

According to him, some communities linked recurring accidents at specific locations to the failure to conduct traditional rites. “Even families that experienced natural deaths would later gather for cleansing ceremonies to restore peace and closure, but nowadays youths are overdoing it, and that is why we continue to witness more similar deaths at the same spot,” says Juma.

Spiritual beliefs

However, Mzee Nathan Wekesa differs, offering a different perspective while explaining the significance of the road processions that are now common, especially in Kakamega and Vihiga counties. “When someone dies in a road accident, their spirit remains trapped at the scene. If you bring the body directly home, you bring that bad omen with it. The noise and movement are meant to confuse the spirit,” explains the 74-year-old Bukusu elder.

According to Wekesa, different forms of death traditionally attracted different rituals. “In cases of suicide, burials were conducted at night and accompanied by symbolic acts intended to discourage similar incidents within the family. For drowning victims, rituals were conducted at riverbanks, sometimes involving the slaughter of animals to appease spiritual forces associated with water,” says Wekesa.

Victims of murder or mob injustice were sometimes buried with herbs or symbolic objects believed to aid justice or protect surviving relatives.

Silas Wafula remembers the death of his cousin, who drowned in River Nzoia three years ago. “The elders insisted that his body could not enter the house. He stayed in a tent outside until burial. It was a bad experience, but elders believed it was necessary for our protection,” he recalls.

The waning of traditional rituals has also met resistance from the Church, which views them as outdated. 

Some clerics consider both traditional rituals and the emerging ‘Reggae na Lami’ phenomenon to be incompatible with Christian teachings.

Mercy Khaemba, whose brother died in a hit-and-run accident, says her family found itself caught between Church doctrine and community expectations.

“We are devoted Catholics, but elders threatened to boycott the funeral if we ignored traditional customs. We had to find a compromise or else risk being isolated by the community,” she said.

Khalukhana is concerned that modern Christianity has contributed to the erosion of indigenous practices. “Some churches dismiss these traditions as primitive, yet our ancestors followed them for generations. Whether people believe in them or not, these customs remain deeply rooted in our culture,” he said.