Held in Mbale town every 26 December, the Maragoli Cultural Festival was for a long time, in decades gone by, the biggest event of the year in the region – coming a day after Christmas: probably the biggest holiday in Kenya; and frequently attended by the former president Daniel Arap Moi
It showcases the culture and traditions of, not only the Maragoli, but the whole Luhya community that resides in Vihiga.
The festival is organised by the Vihiga Cultural Society.
These rich history of the Maragoli people is facing turbulence after politics invaded the noble show piece.
Let me take you down memory lane, Andimi the father of all the Maragolis both in Vihiga and diaspora settled at a place called Mungoma in a cave on the slopes of Maragoli hills. The place/cave has since been reserved and gazzetted as a tourist/historical site.
In order to preserve the culture of the Maragoli people, Moses Substone Mudamba Mudavadi together with well meaning elders organised this annual event to celebrate and pass the rich culture to generations to come.
During the late Mudavadi’s time, the event remained purely cultural event where foods, drinks, medicine, folk tales and dances dominated the day.
Even the presence of former president Daniel Moi could not alter the event’s path.
Exit Mudamba and enter Musalia, too much water has passed down the bridge. The event has to an extend lost its color and instead politics has taken center stage.
A few years ago, former minister Hon Eugine Wamalwa himself a Bukusu was heckled during the cultural event. Never mind the event’s theme has always been to foster unity among Maragolis and her neighbours.
This unfortunate act planted bad seeds between Bukusus and Maragolis. This was a political undertone gone south.
Of recent, very little attention and time is reserved for culture. Maragolis cultural extravaganza the biggest event in Western Kenya has been converted into a theartre of absurdity, thanks to the self seeking politicians.
Kenya has just come out of a very competitive election, it is therefore our humble plea that politicians and event planners will revert back to what Maragoli cultural festival set to celebrate and leave politics out of the event.
Below find some of the Maragoli beliefs…
Among the Maragoli, , stumbling was considered a bad omen. It was worse if one stumbled with his left foot. And in the event one stumbled on his right foot twice in succession, he would return home. .
If one stumbled with both feet in succession, it meant that two different troubles were in store.
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The Maragoli, the community generally considered sneezing to be a bad omen. If a person sneezed repeatedly before taking up an activity, he would put it off for some time “if it was possible for him to do so”,
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Meeting a small antelope (ekisusu) was a very good sign, as was an encounter with a silver squirrel with a long, bushy tail.
However, the community (Maragoli) considered an encounter with the esimindwa (red hawk) a bad sign. I hope Maragolis remember the song” simindwa ndura ijivaswa, imbura ingubi, mbura tsigenda….
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In the same community, if an owl (elikuli) cried near a homestead, it was believed that one of the persons living there would die soon. To prevent this from happening, the owl was driven away with a firebrand.
And if a Maragoli heard a big fox, called ekivwi, this was a bad omen in the sense that it heralded the death of an eminent member of the community or clan person.( Kisiis too have a special dislike for ekevwe of Mangatse hills)
The Maragoli featival shall be held at Mbale on 26th Dec 2022, see you there
