CORD leader leads mourners in chants to honour Otieno Kajwang'

Kenya: “Young man what you eat is what you count,” said Coalition for Reforms and Democracy leader Raila Odinga in his native Dholuo language as he prepared to address thousands of mourners at Uhuru Park, yesterday.

This is a common chant performed during the funeral of a Luo King (Ker) especially during the ‘Tero Buru’ ritual. This chant reminds one of a character, Unoka, in Chinua Achebe’s book Things Fall Apart who always said that whenever he saw a dead man’s mouth he saw the folly of not eating what one had in one’s lifetime.

And the youthful mourners suddenly came alive wailing and crying some literally weeping as they joined the chant. A close friend and associate of the departed Homa Bay Senator Otieno Kajwang’, Raila went on to praise the fallen politician.

Notably, he was addressing Kajwang’ directly as if he were there alive, listening to the platitudes.

Well, this may be because among the Luo community, there is life after death and Kajwang’ has just become a living dead who is hovering over the living and seeing all that was happening yesterday.

“We have lost a loving friend and compatriot. We hope to see him again when our times come,” said Raila’s wife Idah Odinga who mourners referred to as ‘Her Excellency’ as they addressed her. The crowd waved twigs as they joined Raila in singing Kajwang’s favourite song, Bado Mapambano (the struggle continues).

Raila signed off with Jowi! Jowi! Jowi! (Buffalo! Buffalo! Buffalo!), almost charging at the crowd as they responded back in a spiritual conspiracy to extol Kajwang’s spirit to the land of indisputable heroes.

At this stage, some mourners went into a trance as others chased imaginary spirits of the death. Getting into the idiom earlier was Busia Senator Amos Wako who also signed off with the Jowi chant.

Former Gichugu MP Martha Karua got it right when she greeted the crowd with “Ber Uru” a salutation for peace and was rewarded with an attentive listening unlike some speakers who did not pay attention to the Luo customs and culture.

The mourners preferred to be addressed in Dholuo and speakers who could not at least salute them in the said language had a difficult time putting their points across.

The ‘green army’ as Gor Mahia football club supporters are commonly referred to added colour to the cultural statement when they sang the club’s anthem and made the day’s master of ceremony Senator Elizabeth Ongoro not only recognise them but also allow their leader Jaro Soja to address the gathering.

 Public viewing

“Kajwang’ was our number one supporter and it is with great regret that we mourn his death,” said Soja, who was dressed in full ‘green army’ regalia.

certainly, more of the authentic cultural practices around Luo burials will be manifest during public viewing at Kisumu and also in Homa Bay before Kajwang’ is finally laid to rest.

Kajwang’ died of a heart attack, post-mortem results recently revealed. Pathologists said there was a previous scar on his heart but his death resulted from a different one.

Siaya Senator James Orengo said Kajwang’s body fluids, tissues and blood would be shipped to The University of Pretoria for further examinations.