Omwami Mwene 
Among the rituals that are the body of Maragoli building and construction traditions, the requirement that the wife be present during “kuweka kofia”, kuvika kesegese, reigns supreme. The kofia (kesegese) is the ‘cap’ that is placed at the apex of the thatched roof of a traditional Maragoli hut. It is the equivalent of the ridge … Read more
From kumfutu, chingayu, kumusiola, kumurembe and more. Meet shrubs, herbs and trees with cultural value among the Luhya. By the shade of a mango tree upfront my parents house, we have grown. They, our parents, growing up just as they have with us, got counseled there. Its shade know not only our ways, but the … Read more
In the article, Bukusu Naming Traditions: A Synopsis, we revealed the intricacies behind traditions of how the Bukusu named their children. We continue this cultural journey, this time revealing the meaning of Luhya names from all over Mulembe Nation. Your contributions, by way of dropping a comment, are welcome. Quick Jump Links To Luhya Names and … Read more
Eight months ago we reported on progress of works on the only major highway that has been constructed in Mulembe land in the last decade. There had been signs of life in what must be one of Kenya’s longest running road construction projects as earth movers transformed the famous Chavakali – Kaimosi junction on the … Read more
It’s not often that one can link African oral literature with the modern science of epidemiology. Such an intricate exercise is within the realm of medical anthropology, whose practitioners locally shouldn’t fill the fingers of one hand. But for an ‘old’ disease like smallpox, you could be in some luck. It shouldn’t therefore be lost … Read more
The politics — the allegory — of this libukusu folk hit by Wanjala Okumu can never be debunked without partaking of this ritual. For the audience to flay through the layers of political speak in this classic, they are compelled to get intimate with its music video in all its glory — low-budget clip or … Read more
Eminent Kenyan scholar Prof Calestous Juma was born on 9th June 1953 in Port Victoria, Budalangi, Western Kenya and passed on the 15th of December 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Our excellence in academics – bequeathing humanity towering scholars at home and in academic capitals of the world- has long been the pride of … Read more
Given its esteem as a corner of the world replete with cultural treasures little wonder then that, justifiably curious, we watched on when the logooli nation of mulembe nation mourned its fallen son mkevi Ngori. Ngori was a respected traditional circumciser who was the last kind. I had expected a much larger crowd. But, amwavo this … Read more
At its former location, just off the Eldoret- Malaba highway – at the base of that last dip as you rise towards Kanduyi from Sikata – Sarasa Cottages and Campsite Bungoma, wasn’t the bustling Western town’s biggest secret. In plain view and within earshot of heavy truck traffic traversing the northern corridor, that spot was … Read more
There is a Swahili saying that’s similar saying to this Maragoli proverb. It goes, ng’ombe ya maskini haizai mapacha. But I find the Lulogooli version, Imburi yu mudaka yivura amalongo dave, more pungent. Simply because twinning in goats is naturally a more probable occurrence than in cattle. Science has it that the incidence of twinning … Read more
