2019: Year of macabre events, mystique, death

1. Burial rites

The crash of an Ethiopian Airline that killed 157 people created conversation about burial rites especially when a loved one’s body is not found.

In many African communities, death and everything surrounding it is considered taboo, and elaborate rituals are put in place to appease gods and send the deceased to the ancestral space without hitches.

In this case, the absence of bodies complicated matters, with communities scampering to find ways to bury their loved ones.

Locally, a banana stem was the preferred replacement of the body as it signified continuity of the deceased and ability for it to reproduce even in time of scarcity.

Some communities buried bits and pieces left behind by the deceased and in others, a visit to the scene of the accident is the only way to link with their loved ones and for closure. 

Also popular in 2019 was the rise of cremation as an internment method, especially for wealthier Kenyans.

This follows the cremation of late Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore and Kibra MP Ken Okoth. 

Experts said it was cheaper and quicker compared to the usually drawn-out funeral traditions of many communities. 

2. Food dictates

Later in the year, Luhya elders made news for warning women against eating imondo (chicken gizzard), as it is the main cause of marital woes beleaguering the community today. 

It revealed the food dos and don’ts communities have been observing since time immemorial, and the disruption modern life has had on these rules once cast in stone.

In some communities, women were not allowed to eat chicken or parts of animals including tongue, heart and male reproductive organs as it was seen to be disrespectful and to have an impact on their reproductive health including conception.

Other communities have a pecking order, where, depending on your status, you are entitled to parts – usually juicy – of animals. 

Anyone see to go against these rules would be treated as an outcast or even punished for any mishap that befalls the family or community as a whole.

3. Is all about the money

Budgeting, saving are some of the safe topics parents have with their children, but there are some topics that parents shy away from broaching, including debts, bankruptcy and general attitude towards cash.

Valerie Gathoni, after she had her home auctioned to pay off her huge debts, decided to take this taboo topic head on to help individuals and families acquire financial literacy.

4. Mystic music

Bob Marley once said, when music hits, you feel no pain to show the deep connection many people have with these tunes.

However, questions as to whether music is mystical arose in 2019 when an upcoming musician from Ukambani talked about the rituals they go through to have their songs hit the airwaves, and any failure to go through this could mean death. 

From having their musical instruments ‘blessed’ or given amulets to protect them, musicians seem to have their path chartered for them.

5. Calamity after joy

When tragedy happens during or immediately after a happy occasion, many questions are raised. From whether the hosts were bewitched to whether they angered someone, fingers are almost pointed towards something or someone.

This also comes with a series of rituals to send away any bad omen that might cause further harm to the community. Others quickly turn to God for forgiveness for their sins- real or perceived. 

6. Anything for motherhood

While infertility in women is not taboo, it comes with the burden of shame and discrimination, especially in African communities where motherhood is revered.

This, unfortunately, forces women to try taboo methods to become mothers, including consuming baboon urine and using egg whites as lubricants. 

Still on motherhood, lotus births, the practice of leaving the umbilical cord attached to the placenta until it naturally falls off, made news in the year, with some women calling it bizzare. 

Although it is quite popular in Europe, it is not practised in Kenya, with experts warning that once the placenta is expelled from the womb, it lacks blood supply, causing it to rot, leading to infections to the child. 

7.  Bedroom matters

In 2019, non-surgical procedure for enlarging manhood was the trend according to Dr Pranav Pancholi of Avane Cosmetic Dermatology Clinics. 

The most popular is the injection of collagen-like substance into the penis to increase its girth. Some reasons for demand for larger manhood include low self esteem and the desire to satisfy their partners. 

Misconceptions about  female genitalia also made waves in the year, with sexperts and gynaecologists debunking these myths including that using vaginal washes is not recommended as it interferes with the natural state of the female genital organ, which is self-cleaning.