Omwami Mwene 
Witchcraft? Tradition? Culture? Which of the three words best describes kamanyasi in the context of luhya myths on infidelity? A teacher of thought once clarified to me that witchcraft is set aside from the body of a community’s knowledge by the explicit intention of harm by those involved. So is kamanyasi just harmless mulembe culture? … Read more
Close proximity here means anything from: nursing him on his death bed, offering a bed bath or even cleaning his linen. This high threshold of ‘no touching ‘or ‘breathing his air’ applies especially to ‘complete’ marriages. A ‘complete’ marriage is one where dowry has been paid. Not just in form of cash or grains, but … Read more
It is easy to imagine a rap battle. But a wedding song battle? Move over Kayamba Roots. Step up Steve Kay. To Kayamba Roots, nothing personal. Because as far as made-for-radio-and-dance-floor Kenyan wedding songs go, not even Jua Kali Band’s “My Dear’ can hold a candle to ‘Mbe Omukhasi’. And to the all time Luhya … Read more
Somewhere hidden among the vishigas of Vihiga, is a giant footprint of Jesus. Yes, the son of Joseph once rolled through these parts preaching mulembe, so goes the legend. If in doubt, there’s reason why Mary Sinaida Akata, Nabii Yohana (V), Yesu wa Tongaren and Jehovah Wanyonyi are all our people! It must have started … Read more
Emojis have become much more than tools of communication between friends and family. Today, the value of emojis even in marketing businesses online is well recognized. While emojis are a universal language, more and more groups of friends and even communities are coming up with clever ways of making them their own. As this impressive … Read more
Some time back, we named our babies. Though we are yet to explore the whole shebang of naming and how luhya names come about, but some justice was done with our piece on Bukusu naming traditions. Today we talk about a phase in a baby’s development that can be the most embarrassing for young, inexperienced … Read more
If you thought “Mbe Omukhasi” was a one off punt, “Khalinjola” screams: this is it! This is Steve Kay. At one time, that was just a name lost among the bevy of young Bukusu musicians seeking to take over Bukusu folk music. Today, it’s a brand that’s pushing the boundaries of Bukusu and Luhya music. … Read more
Popular media has rightfully positioned Prof. Julia Auma Ojiambo’s stock among that of immortals. For us in Mulembe, she seats at the table with the likes of the late Joseph Otiende, Francis Imbuga and Calestous Juma. As the subject of a Master of Arts in Literature thesis by Marciana Nafula Were, Prof . Julia Ojiambo, … Read more
This story illustrates a Maragoli folktale value to epidemiology. It is months like May that make Christmas sneak up on us. May is a dull, action dry month. It is not planting season like February, Easter season like March or April; not even likembe season that August gifts us. The fifth month of the year, … Read more
In contemporary Kenyan speak, mention of the word mulembe teleports one to western Kenya.Yet a mirage still blinds the true meaning of that which made a people ever so great: mulembe.
