Key Luo Cultural Rituals Expected to Honour Raila Odinga Before Burial in Bondo
Kenya’s veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga will be laid to rest in Bondo, Siaya County, with both state and traditional Luo rites expected to feature prominently in the burial programme.
The State Funeral Committee announced that the burial will follow Anglican Church traditions, but as a revered Luo elder and national statesman, several Luo cultural rituals have already begun to honour his passage to the ancestral world.
Tero Ywak – Announcement of Death
The first ritual, known as Tero Ywak, marks the official announcement of death. Traditionally, the deceased’s wife is the first to wail before others join in mourning. Drums are beaten and messengers dispatched to neighbouring homes to spread the news — a practice that reflects the age, gender, and social standing of the deceased.
Body Preparation and Vigil (Arita)
After the announcement, close relatives wash and dress the body in formal or traditional attire before placing it in a house or special hut for mourners to pay their respects.
Night vigils, or arita, then follow. Family, friends, and villagers gather to sing dirges, recount the deceased’s life, and light fires called magenga, believed to provide warmth to the departed spirit.
On the eve of burial, the body is taken around key houses in the homestead — to the mother’s house if the man died in his parents’ compound, or into his own house if he had established a home.
Burial Ceremony and Gravesite
For Luo men, graves are traditionally dug on the right side of the main house, while for women, they are on the left. The ceremony is led by clan elders who perform prayers, speeches, and traditional blessings. Libations may also be poured to appease the ancestors and ensure the deceased’s peaceful transition.
Tero Buru – Cleansing the Homestead
The Tero Buru is a highly significant Luo cultural ritual. This ceremony is performed to cleanse the homestead and properly honour the deceased’s spirit. During the ritual, men and boys parade around the compound with the family’s cattle. They engage in blowing horns and vigorously singing traditional war songs. The purpose is to chase away any evil spirits from the home. It also serves to symbolically strengthen community unity among the people.
Liedo – Shaving and Purification
Four days after burial, relatives hold the liedo (shaving ceremony). The widow and children are shaved first, often near a river, symbolising purification and renewal.
Succession and Remembrance
Traditionally, succession or inheritance follows, where a close male relative symbolically “inherits” the widow to preserve the homestead. The family continues to hold remembrance and grave maintenance ceremonies, often during anniversaries, to honour the departed elder and ensure peace within the lineage.
For the Luo community, death is not viewed as a final end. Instead, it signifies a transition into the ancestral world. The person who has departed joins the forebears in this realm. These ancestors are traditionally believed to watch over and protect the community members who are still living.
