By Benjamin Ochieng, in Kenya
February 7th, 2009
THE culture of sleeping with the body of a dead woman in Luo Nyanza Community is shocking news to the world at this time that HIV Aids is a threat.
When a widow dies without having been inherited by a man, the kinsmen are forced to get or hire a man for the act before the body is laid to rest as sober minded eye witness evidenced in a closed door.
The culture that has been in practice for decades is done to appease the dead and give a proper burial.
This culture has in the recent persistently received mixed reactions from the church, western world and the World Health Organizations WHO experts.
Health Ministry fears that the community would continue to lose more dependable Kenyans to HIV-Aids with their written off old practices.
Over 20 million people are killed every year by HIV Aids in the globe. The WHO indicate that 2 million fresh infections are recorded everyday in the world ranking Aids disease the top killer tailed by malaria, cholera, TB and cancer.
“The generation after generation practice places Luos at risk since the act is done without determining the cause of death. Their interest is to perform the act to avoid nightmares or being haunted” Said Professor Ochola Agwanda a renowned historian.
But they also had a big challenge when it came to finding the right willing candidate to sleep with the dead. They resort to compromise with a 30% mentally retarded person because it wasn’t easy to find a normal person accepting to do the awkward act under any circumstance.
After going through the turmoil of the dead rituals for ages and practiced by generation after another, the 21st century generation has finally resisted especially those brought up in urban areas to make it a history, not only for fear of being infected by HIV-Aids, but “sleeping with the dead” is against humanity and is described as an animalic act of the past.
They have improvised placing a man's coat or cloth on a hanger at the bedroom ,a substitute to the formerly life threatening act. Once the cloth or coat is hanged, the kinsmen and elders assume the body has already undergone through the ritual and is buried as required.
Another buried alive culture is the long done removal of the four front teeth among the male teenage. This makes them toothless for the rest of their lives. It was in substitute to circumcision but now, things are different.
The mixture of western culture by people in big towns like Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru and Eldoret seems to dominate deeply into the third generation. The circumcision move was supported by medical researchers who found the male circumcision reduced HIV-Aids infections by a big margin.
The few tried changes opposed to the past believes and taboos have proved successful and without regrets. The Luos are now convinced that much can still be done to fully transform the community from the old day’s life and make them fit into the modern world of technology.
Despite the Maasai's having a simple identification by their red kanga, red styled hair and a spear in their hands are placed on the spot with a similar matter.
Although maasai’s have attracted more tourist visits in the country in beaches, hotels and ranches but when a woman has accepted another man in the house, the spear is simply spiked at the door of the entrance. This is a self explanatory that a man is in the house busy with the woman.
The Ministry of Health, Ministry of Culture and Social Services Non governmental Organizations NGO'S refuted these acts since they don’t use condoms for safe sex and don’t go for VCT, putting them at a risk of spreading the HIV virus.
Female genital mutation FGM in Maasai has as well got side kicks from health experts and the legal fraternity across the globe.
Their females at the age of 10 are circumcised by removing of clitoris from the private parts making them shun schooling and ready for husbands. Their tradition make their girls marry at the age between 12-15 years to men who pay heavy cow price to the brides parents, placing the Maasai’s and Kuria who have the same culture on the binocular for screening.
In Tesoland, their first borns are killed and eaten by family members. The cannibalic cultures although with critics from the waken up society, stays. Peter Etyang from Amagoro accepts the tradition stands.
In Alupe, Amojong, Gwang’amor, Lupida, and Myanga areas, walking at night may make you delicious soup and fatty “nyama choma” roasted meat. The same cannibalic incidents are reported in Kisii, Nyamira and Gucha. Most happened in early 80s and 90s but few recorded cases in 2005 to date…
ENDS