Anthropological Study of Burial Ceremony in African Development and Harnessing Traditional Knowledge Among the Abagusii

Abstract

The Abagusii like other tribes in Africa, burial ceremony, was the last respect given to the dead body. Burial (Ogotindeka) was anthropologically done according to Abagusii customs and traditions. When a married man or husband to more than two wives (Omogaka bwo’omochie) died was buried in the first wife’s house in the homestead if he was a polygamist. The dead body was laid in the reception room at the left side of the room for the whole night. The dead body was removed from the house using the left door (Omorangwa o’gesaku,or bweri) when the grave was ready in the morning as the animals were off the manger for grazing. The problem nowadays, burial rituals and customs are not followed such as grave digger speaking or eating food inside the grave or drinking water while in the grave. This has been ascertaining to be an abomination and leading too many people losing lives and is seen as a sign of curses in the family. The objective of the study is to investigate the factors leading to erosion of burial rites and rituals among the Abagusii. Also to unearth the anthropological burial ceremony process for harsening traditional knowledge and sustainable African development in Kenya and Africa at large. The research adopts analytical method through the empirical primary data collected from the Abagusii elders. The results indicate that the modern Abagusii people do not value burial ritual and customs. The sons and daughters leave the homestead immediately after burial to go and attend the chorus of work in towns. There is no second day crying /respect (Eburu) for deceased. It is concluded that the un honored burial ceremonies lead to curses and as consequence more deaths.It is recommended for harssening the African traditional knowledge, the Abagusii should follow the burial rituals and customs to suppress more deaths to occur in families.

Keywords: Anthropological, Burial ceremony, African development, Traditional knowledge