Spirit of Mulembe

The spirit of Mulembe is a philosophy of life informed by the virtue of mulembe, peace, which the Luhya people of western Kenya are known for. To us, the spirit is everything.

It’s our relationship with nature. The reason why nature and its conservation is important to our way of life;
It lives in us, omnipresent in our items of culture such as in proverbs, where we define personhood as inviolable;
It’s our deep sense of community.
Today, the spirit of mulembe lives on through the people of mulembe‘s vibrant outlook of life; manifest by our wide array of traditional and contemporary dances, music and performance arts culture.

Join us to get to learn more about ‘the spirit’. In this section of our website, you’ll find stories, articles and media on ‘the spirit’.

A different kind of Madaraka Day as the pandemic strikes again this time denying this Mluhya a chance to be Luhya.

January 10, 2022June 1, 2020 by Omwami Mwene

Happy 57th Madaraka Day mulembe nation message

1st June of 2020 marked the 57th Madaraka Day commemorating the day in 1963 when Kenya attained independent self-governance after decades as a British Colony. Any other public holiday as this one would have been the perfect Madaraka Day for yours truly to do Luhya things, but not this one deep in the mare of the … Read more

Meaning of omwami in Luhya: Revealing 9 different interpretations, some you know most you don’t, from the respect due to a king to humble gratitude

October 3, 2022April 14, 2020 by Omwami Mwene

Poster with image of transparent chess pieces titled omwami

Some of you might have had a chance of a visit or a stay in western Kenya. If not, then you might have interacted with my people, the Luhya, anywhere in this country – because we are everywhere. As a result, you must have heard of the Luhya word omwami. Chances are you might have … Read more

Recollections on sisakati, the traditional washroom: A hilarious story of the simple joys of a childhood growing up with the barest essentials and the power of coming together

August 24, 2021March 13, 2020 by Sade Khalai

If you grew up or have stayed in the village but you never cleaned up in a “washroom” constructed by banana leaves (sisakati) whose floor composed of a patchwork of cobblestones, humbly accept that you grew up privileged. There, I said it. If my unsolicited opinion brings up anxieties over your self-diagnosis of a serious … Read more

Meet the Bukusu proverb embalikha yarafua nga ekhilakhima – A tale of polygamy, the church and Elijah Masinde’s resistance.

August 24, 2021February 26, 2020 by Omwami Mwene

poster A Bukusu proverb: embalikha elinga ekhilakhima, esiukha bichikhi!

As I equivocally stated before, we the people of mulembe are a people of love. The spirit of mulembe is that of warmth. That of love. Of companionship. That of a man loving his woman. And of women finding joy in keeping their beds warm; making sure her man is tethered to her sheets. Therefore, … Read more

Meet the King of Meats: Why you couldn’t invite friends and family over to feast on buffalo meat (Luhya taboo foods)

August 24, 2021August 21, 2019 by Omwami Mwene

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

Why This Bukusu Saying is after the heart of the spirit of mulembe

January 22, 2022August 20, 2019 by Omwami Mwene

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

Proudly Luhya: The True Meaning Of Mulembe

August 17, 2021November 16, 2018 by Omwami Mwene

poster of the luhya greetings mulembe featuring an african boy smiling and waving

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.

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