CULTURAL RITES

Magoha's Procession: What Nigerian attires symbolised

"Women had royal blue dresses. The color blue is a sign of royalty"

In Summary
  • The widow, Barbra Odudu Magoha also rocked a blue dress, navy blue wrapping on her shoulder and blue headwrap.
  • A third group from the Hausa had red headwraps and green and red gowns with a walking royal stick.
Igbo Dancers perform a special ritual dance associated with the Nigerian elders during former education CS George Magoha's procession at Lee Funeral Home
Igbo Dancers perform a special ritual dance associated with the Nigerian elders during former education CS George Magoha's procession at Lee Funeral Home
Image: ENOS TECHE

As former education CS George Magoha's procession moved around town, songs and dances rocked the air.

His Nigerian in-laws rocked fancy outfits, women had royal blue dresses with red headwraps.

"In Nigerian culture, the color blue is a sign of royalty and for this case, we honor the late Magoha as a very hardworking leader," one Nigerian said.

The widow, Barbra Odudu Magoha also rocked a blue dress, navy blue wrapping on her shoulder and blue headwrap.

While the men had three groups with different outfits.

One troop was wearing brown shirts with an African print, on the head, they had white and red/green/black stripes Marvin.

The other group which was performing cultural rites on Magoha's body had white cover-ups, green hats and white gowns.

"They are called Ohanaeze in the Igbo culture. For the Hausa that's their cultural dress code," one of them said.

A third group from the Hausa had red headwraps and green and red gowns with a walking royal stick.

One of them had a brown royal outfit and a white wrapping on the head.

The Nigerian troop dressed in white was performing a ritual to give Magoha farewell.

The practice is said to cleanse the dead from any grudges against living beings.

In Nigeria, the cleansing ceremony is meant to be conducted by elderly men but because they are not in Kenya currently it has been done by young boys.

The Nigerians remember Magoha as a passionate leader. “He used to visit Nigeria almost five to six times a year."

Highlighted in his funeral programme, a requiem mass will be held at his home which will be officiated by Nairobi Hospital Chaplaincy.

According to Luo rites, when one passes away the deceased is supposed to spend the night at their homestead, regardless of gender.

It’s a form of respect as it is the deceased way of bidding farewell to their homestead.

It is also the only time when close family members and relatives get to properly mourn and bid farewell to their loved ones.

His colleague and friend Walter Mwanda told the media that Magoha had a premonition of the day that he was going to die.

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