Your paternal aunt, senge in Lulogooli, or senje most other ways, is irreplaceable among the people of Mulembe. Six uncomfortable truths on the importance of senje in Luhya culture.
There are fewer hallowed relations to be in life such as a senje in Luhya culture. When life is being good to you — weddings and the likes — senje must not only be present, but is an active participant in life events of that nature. And when life throws you a curve ball, senge is one of the few relations who culture obligates to help get you onto the other side.
Before we jog on, be better informed on the irreplaceable role of senje in Luhya culture by reading our article on Who is senje? Beyond Sauti Sol’s viral hit song into the liberal and strict meaning of senge in Luhya culture. In this well received piece we not only detail all the possible meanings of senje in Luhya culture, but also lay the foundation to understanding the why.
Senje like Saul Goodman in the hit television series Better Call Saul is always there. She’s been there in our father’s times as the human version of Tinder; and will be there during:
Khukhombia kumukango: Sans senje in Luhya culture, we’d have only half baked basinde and subsequently, a shortage of mundu strong
Omusinde, singular, is the name our Bukusu brothers give to initiate ready to face the knife in their version of the Luhya traditional circumcision ceremony. As basinde ready for the knife, they face one last test of their resolve and readiness to transition from being men to boys. Just before omukhebi’s knife does the physical act of this transition, the basinde’s senje undertakes the final psychological act of the transition.
She steps in front of the boy about to be a man and slaps him hard with a cooking stick dipped in busaa. This act of senje slapping omusinde with the cooking stick is referred to as khukhombia kumukango. After being abused, spat on, jeered and even attempts made on his life on the walk from the river, you can imagine how humiliating and provoking the act by senje is.
Yet, to pass this test, the omusinde must through out the ordeal remain unmoved like a rock. If he’s swift and defends his honor by raising a firm arm such that the cooking stick bounces of it to wherever, the people are happier. If he doesn’t flinch or cower; the people are happiest.
Straight from senje’s humiliating hand, he then faces the knife….I tell you, my sister it takes a lot to make omundu strong.
Musambwa
One day we will write about musambwa. But in a nutshell, musambwa is that of your ancestors that is in your blood. It could be iron mongering, circumcising, maybe khulicha or any other noble craft. Indoctrinating into and/or awakening that which lies in one’s DNA is one of the most sacred duties of senje in Luhya culture.
Senje in Luhya culture is the designated bearer of uncomfortable or difficult information
Even outside Luhya culture, this is one of the most known roles that a senje is obligated to dutifully perform. A senior spinster? Be sure that when your paternal aunt pesters you about it, she does that not because she is a b*tch but as a messenger of pretty all your relations. If you took someone’s daughter is cooking for you yet you are in the bad habit of not paying for what you get, trust me senje will be there passing loud hints nudging your thankless self to pay enganana.
Maybe you are one of those pollinator types, a rolling stone who can’t keep his zip up. Senje will find a way. Back in my father’s days it was senge’s duty to shock you out of bachelorhood. Yes, shock. Or how else would you react to any of the following? Picture your senge offering to ‘teach you how to do things’ or to ‘test drive and find out if all is ok down there’; all in a bid to cure you of the inexperience or performance anxiety that’s occasioning your cooking for yourself whilst you were of age?
Curse
Need to lift a curse? Better call senje. In addition, however nasty or nosy your senjes are, never cross their paths. It is said that their curse is a terrible one.
First shave of baby hair
Other than naming, the first shaving of a baby’s hair is an important ceremony of socializing a baby into his father’s clan. Of the 18 houses of Mulembe, the Maragoli in particular hold on to this tradition. When a baby is born, their baby hair is not shaved at all. At an appropriate time, senje is called in to do the job. Once this is done, that child belongs fully and irredeemably to her father’s people.
Khukolola kamakumba
Well, this I will write from hiding. Your senje’s husband, effectively, your uncle is fair game. As Nairobians say, they are munchable. Therefore senjes out there should be on the lookout when their beautiful nieces come visiting. The Bukusu will look the other way when they hear a case of a niece and senje sharing a cooking stick. They will simply say:
“Omwisengechana kecha khukolola kamakumba ka sengewe!”.
Translated as: The niece came to stretch/straighten her senje’s bones.
