- The body of the late Cyrus Jirongo arrived at his home in Kitale on December 28, which caused tension over the cultural procedures that should be followed when receiving the body.
- The elders of Tiriki insisted that the body should be brought in through the back gate, but funeral committee chairman Fred Gumo rejected the custom saying it was old and would cause Jirongo’s immediate family confusion.
- Gumo urged the bereaved to maintain order and respect, warning Tiriki elders against turning the funeral into a cultural contest
There was confusion at the home of the late Cyrus Jirongo in Seven Mile area KitaleTrans Nzoia County, where the body of the deceased arrived on the evening of Sunday, December 28.
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Jirongo’s body was flown from Nairobi to begin his final journey.
During the reception of the body at the Kitale airport, the elders clashed over the procedures required to receive the body at home.
What custom was rejected at Jirongo’s house?
Elders from the indigenous Tiriki community, a small branch of the larger Luhya community, insisted that the body enter the house through the farm gate instead of the main gate.
They said this would fulfill cultural needs, appease the ancestors, and prevent calamities like death from striking the family again.
However, the former MP for Westlands, Fred Gumo, refused to continue the practice for any reason.
Gumo is the chairman of the funeral committee.
He explained that the children of Jirongo are not used to such strange customs, so participating in those customs would make them doubt when they are facing the death of their father.
“We were at the airport, and the elders insisted that they must open a second gate, different from the main one. They threatened that if the body did not enter the house from the back, then they would leave. Unfortunately, we could not console them. Cyrus is not a child. He had his own house, children and grandchildren. When his body arrives at home, it is brought through the main gate and taken into the house, and the immediate family is allowed to have their own time with the body,” said Gumo.
Source: Facebook
Why did Gumo reject the customs of the Tiriki elders
Gumo said that such practices are old and would damage Jirongo’s status as a public leader.
He called for order among the bereaved, warning them against any attempt to interfere with the planned funeral.
“This custom from Tiriki was a thing of the past, but no one does it anymore. These children know nothing about those customs. They will be left to wonder why their father’s body was brought home through the oppressed farm because of the culture,” he said.
Gumo instructed the family to oppose any plans developed by some people who claim to continue cultural practices in funerals.
“Please do not allow yourself to be pressured into customs you are not used to. Please do not accept that. Let us pay Cyrus the last respect in a respectful way. Many people have come forward to pay their last respects to Cyrus, and we will look like unguided and unprepared people who do not know what they are doing,” said Gumo.
Tiriki elders were cautioned against turning the funeral into a cultural show or a platform for the struggle of cultural superiority.
When will Jirongo be buried?
The body of the former Lugari Member of Parliament will remain in Kitale for the night, before being transferred to Lugari, Kakamega County on Monday, December 29.
He will be buried at his Lumakanda home on Tuesday, December 30.
Jirongo died on December 13 after his car was hit by a speeding passenger bus on his way to kiss from Nairobi.
The bus collided with his Mercedes Benz at Karai, Naivasha, on the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway.
He died instantly from severe injuries, including broken legs.
Meanwhile, the Department of Criminal Investigation (DCI) is investigating the circumstances surrounding the accident.
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