Bernard Munase of Lubao village, Kakamega county, performed a traditional funeral ceremony for his wife, who vanished 13 years ago, using a banana stem as a symbolic replacement. The ritual, guided by Isukha customs, aimed to allow his son to marry again after years of fruitless searches for the missing woman.
Munase, who had one child with his wife, explained that elders mandated the ceremony to resolve the family's marital status. 'God blessed us with a son during our marriage before she went missing, and our efforts to locate her have been futile,' he told TUKO.co.ke.
Isukha elders, referencing ancestral practices, stated that when relatives disappeared for extended periods, families buried banana stems to appease spirits and lift restrictions on marriage. 'Our ancestors used this ritual. After the stem was buried, I am free to find another partner,' Munase said.
The ceremony included wrapping the stem in a white shroud, a church service, and animal sacrifices to seek ancestral blessings. Elders confirmed the ritual was necessary to 'set the son free' from marital constraints imposed by the wife's prolonged absence.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
