Kakamega bans funeral processions and mourning

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Kakamega County has banned funeral processions and mourning in the Central Business District (CBD) and issued a stern warning to those who will defy the directive.It said is intended to enhance security and order in town will be arrested and charged.

The government, through the security agencies, issued alternative routes to be used by mourners; this follows complaints from the business community, road users and locals of loud music, rowdy youths who smoke bhang and traffic snarl-ups that affect normal operations of businesses.

Kakamega Deputy County Commissioner Titus Mulei warned that no  funeral processions will be allowed within the town centre, citing chaotic and noisy funeral matches that have often disrupted business operations and caused traffic flow.

Speaking during a public meeting in Kakamega town, Mulei, in the company of Shieywe Location Chief Philip Chunge, directed that no processions or mourning of the dead will be allowed in Kakamega town while warning those who will go against the directive that seek to restore order during funeral processions.

"Reggae na Lami' is a loud reggae music that most mourners refer to as the Final Ride Processions, which is something that we must confront and put to an end. I want to emphasise we have banned it with immediate effect," said Mulei.

He added, "It is not a must to escort and march besides the dead person; even if you play and sing reggae to a dead person, the deceased will not hear, and why should you sing and play loud music for the deceased when he or she is alive? This culture and madness must stop."

Mulei said that security agencies are not against processions or  mourning that is orderly, but they are against the one that is causing disorder and disrupting smooth operations of people's activities and traffic flow.

"If the processions and mourning were done in an orderly way, then we have no problem with it. However, the kind of mourning we are witnessing in town is where youth stop vehicles as if they are traffic police. They remove the casket from the hearse and place it in the middle of the road and start singing and dancing to loud music, forcing people to wait, and yet we are all using the same road, must stop, and it will end," said Mulei.

The Deputy County Commissioner threatened to revoke licenses for the hearse owners who will be found transporting corpses in processions that contravene the directive, adding that even parents or bereaved families that will be found entertaining such processions and mourning will be arrested.

"We don't want noise pollution, and we are going to engage all the stakeholders and those in the business of carrying corpses who will be found in processions that contravene the directive; their licenses will be revoked," said Mulei.

He added, The parents who will be found going against the ban, we will arrest you because at the end of the day you will remain alone and you will face the law."

Chief Chunge, who leads Shirere location that hosts  Kakamega town, said the ban is geared towards restoring order, sanity and enhancing security.

"We have banned reggae and processions in CBD because of the security matters; business people are going through difficult times whereby they can't move in town, customers are unable to access the business premises because youth have blocked the roads and in the process we have received complaints of theft, and therefore we are calling for cooperation and not confrontation of police officers," said Chunge.

The chief announced that security agencies have designated alternative routes for funeral processions from the morgue to outside Kakamega town.

"From Kakamega County Referral Hospital mortuary, those heading to Lubao will now use Shitaho, Nyayo Tea Zone, proceed to Lurambi junction, and then exit town," said Chunge.

He added, "For those heading to Khayega, they will use the Shirere route, while mourners going towards Mumias will use the Shirere–Slaughter–Roasterman route before exiting the town centre".

The administration noted that motorised processions, including boda boda riders (motorcycle taxi riders), have frequently paralysed traffic in the CBD, especially when bodies are moved from the mortuary on Thursdays and Fridays ahead of burials scheduled for Saturdays.

Business people and road users operating within Kakamega town welcomed the move, stating that it will allow them to carry out their ventures without disruptions and enhance the safety and security of their items, especially on Thursdays and Fridays, which are mostly the busiest days in town.

"We are happy, and we want to commend the security agencies for the bold move they have taken. The procession and mourning we normally witness in town is not orderly, and true mourning, some youth who abuse drugs usually steal from people, and at times we are forced to close our shops and businesses for fear of looting; some block customers from accessing our shops because they have blocked the road and entrance," said John Lamenya, a business person.

He added, "We are now going to experience calmness and order in town and run our businesses without interruptions and disruptions because for your shop to be closed for almost one hour in the name of people mourning in town, it is a blow because we lose customers, and passengers delay reaching their destination on time because of snarl-ups."