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Eighty-two-year-old Saulo Keya from Matete village in Lugari, Kakamega County explains why naming and shaving of a baby is an important undertaking among Kabras, one of Luhya sub-clans [Courtesy]
All communities have different traditional practices and religious beliefs when it comes to the naming of a newborn and related ceremonies like shaving the head of the infant.
Among the Musoko clan of the Kabras – a branch of the Luhya community – babies are named after specific ancestors to protect them from bad omens such as poverty,” says 82-year old Saulo Keya, who lives in Matete, Kakamega County.
“The passing of names from one generation to another is meant to keep the community’s customs intact,” Saulo says.
“If a baby cries so much after delivery, the ancestors want it to be named after a relative from the father’s side,” he says. “if it cries unnecessarily during the day after delivery, you must look for a name from its maternal relatives.”
He says the naming rights must be attended by both parents of the baby and in the scenario where the parents are not available; grandparents would stand in and propose names from their clans.
He adds that if the name suggested is not acceptable, the baby will keep crying or even refuse to breastfeed until you find him an appropriate clan name.
Another Kabras sub-tribe member Jenipher Mukoyani, from Shibanga village of Vasoko clan, says if the baby refuses all the names he can as well be named depending on the season he was born.
“If he is born during a drought or rainy period you can drop in names like Nashimiyu, Nafula, Nanzala, Wafula, Kulova, Narotso, Nechesa,” she says.
She went on: “You can also try naming him depending on where he was born if he was bord along the road as a mother rushed to a birth attendant you can call him Nanjira or Wanjira. Those born in the woods will stop crying when you name them Masafu, Makokha or Masanganjila.”
The 61-year-old mother says her community names twins distinctively; the first one is called Mukhwana, the second Mulongo and in case they are triplets the third will bear the name Shisia or Khisa.
“Names that are often ‘rejected’ by children are mostly of people who at the time of their death had unsettled business. They won’t allow their names to be used until the living sort their pending issues; be it debts, dowry and the like,” she says.
Rev. Abraham Murukwa, senior pastor Malava East PAG, says naming can be done based on prominent people like former presidents and priests.
“It can also take a biblical angle where a parent finds a bible character that he loves and names his child after them in the hope they ape his or her ways,” he says.
He says the ritualistic shaving done on newborns remains abominable to serious Christian converts.
According to Mr Tom Keya, babies are shaved by aunties and grandmothers because the two have a strong connection with their ancestors.
He revealed that shaving symbolizes the acceptance of newborns into the family, saying when paternal grandparents refuse to shave the baby, it would mean they do not approve of the relationship between the child’s parents.
“Women were preferred in the shaving exercise; they would shave the babies while uttering unique words in a bid to find a link which the newborns would connect to their fallen forefathers,” he notes.
He pointed out that this tradition was being broken, a thing that was occasioning babies untold difficulties.
Antony Luvisia, programme officer of Urafiki Initiative in Matete says children born out of wedlock have difficulties in ascertaining who the father is and this complicates the practice of the right.
“What happens when the child is born of incest?” he poses.
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