You asked, “How does one say thank you in Maragoli?” We’ve answered with six unique ways that will have you covered in any situation or occasion. Speakers of other Luhya dialects might disagree, but Lulogooli/ Lulogoli/ Llogoori/ KiMaragoli/ Maragoli is one of the easiest languages to learn, especially for Bantu speakers. One can say that … Read more
Growing up in the village, one often assumes that living in the center of the action so to say, they by default know their ways. But that’s until the never-before happens. In may case, it happened with the River Chwele accident. A tragedy that ushered the saddest days of our childhoods. Whose aftermath lifted the … Read more
This is why you can’t herd a few goats and claim to have paid Bukusu dowry Gaining the status of in-law to a Luhya family is one of the best decisions one can make. For us, an in-law is the most sacred, most important relation one can have. Especially so if your in-laws are Bukusu. … Read more
What is khurunga kumurwe? The story of a young love cut short and a man determined to honor the love of his life one last time. Long time ago when I was growing up in the village, when everybody knew each other and what each was up to, I happened to meet a new lady … Read more
Among the Luhya, it was relatively common to use buffalo hide to make traditional Luhya shields and sleeping mats. However, feasting on buffalo meat required luck. For you had to chance upon it. Meet the king of meats according to a Bukusu proverb and Luhya food taboos. It has always been a Luhya thing to … Read more
We explore the meaning of the Bukusu proverb ‘enyama yo mundu eli nga yemboko, okinyolela khusibumba‘ which translates to: the meat of a human being is not like that of a buffalo, if you find it you are as good as dead. This search for meaning, takes us on a journey into Bukusu and Luhya … Read more
Fear, exasperation, hopelessness and loss are just some of the words that we associate with death. Such are the different things we feel, suffer and experience about death. It is why there were different types of death among the Luhya. Death, the great mystery of life, never is music to the ears. However unwanted, its … Read more
Death by suicide, lightening or mob justice were considered taboo among the Luhya. A synopsis of special Luhya burial rites that accompanied unnatural deaths Few things matter to a Luhya than the send off they would receive once their time was up. Luhya death rituals such as khumina chimoni might suffer in the face of … Read more
Today I am in a mood to tell stories. A different kind of stories. Quite unlike our folktales on Namukhokhome the gecko or Nabalayo and her five sisters. We can say our story today is devoid of a head, tail or philosophical meaning. However, it is packed with necessary-to-know information. This is because our story … Read more
The Americans blame the Europeans, especially the French for bringing gonorrhea to their shores. You see what we used to call endwasi the white man called it ‘the clap’. Clap from the French word for brothel ‘clapier‘. Some say endwasi was called the clap because of the ‘pain’ – clapping sensation one suddenly felt on … Read more
