After this, what next for Babu Owino?

Mzee King’e Wa Njonge leads the Kikuyu elders in the traditional rituals to curse Embakasi East MP Babu Owino in Thika on Tuesday.

A section of the Agikuyu elders on Tuesday perform a traditional curse on Embakasi East MP Babu Owino for what they described as disrespect to his elderly and the women of this country.

The elders, drawn from across the Kiambu, converged at Mama Ngina Gardens in Thika Town carrying herbs and a traditional tool kit for performing the rituals. They spent the entire afternoon conducting the ceremony and praying for a change of heart in the young MP before slaughtering a one-coloured lamb and sacrificing it to the gods. 

While speaking to the press after the ritual, the elders said that, in the traditional African setup, it was a bad omen for a young man to abuse the elderly and especially an old woman who qualified to be his grandmother.

The elders prayed for a peaceful nation and warned leaders against plunging the country into chaos.

(Related story: The Die Is Cast For S.K. Macharia As Kikuyu Elders Perform Rituals To Curse Him.)

“We resolved to hold the prayers to secure the country from curse as a result of the young man’s disrespect to his elders and the head of state, who is also like his father. Judging from what we have witnessed here today, we have appeased the gods by slaughtering this goat and we hope our prayers will be answered,” said 91 year-old Mzee King’e Wa Njonge from Ndumberi Kiambu County and the man who led the rituals.

He explained that after the exercise, everything was now in the hands of the gods whom he said were at will to deal with Babu Owino in whatever manner they deemed fit.

Mzee Njonge advised the youth to learn to restrain themselves against acts that could invite curses upon themselves and their families.

He asked them to unite and work as one people regardless of their ethnic backgrounds as the future of this nation was in their hands.

The National Chairman of Kikuyu Elders Welfare Association (KEWA) Mzee Njoroge Karatu warned the youth to avoid any circumstances that would attract a mother’s curse as it was overwhelming, extremely humbling, uncomfortably humiliating and often shameful.

However, he said that a curse was not an end in itself but in a way, an affirmation of blessings, a pointer, inspiring someone to both the restoration and re-establishment of blessings. He therefore wished Babu Owino would reconsider his behaviour and apologised to the mother of the nation.

“The African traditional setup takes pride in values of respecting elders, whether at school or at home. Disrespecting elders only attracts the wrath of the gods. I appeal to our elderly brothers from the Luo Community to advise their son Babu Owino and guide him on respecting his seniors,” said Mzee Karatu.

Thika Business Community welcomed the move by the elders and appealed to leaders across the country to uphold dignity and the unity of the nation.

Speaking on behalf of the residents, their chairman Chege Wa Gathu criticised NASA leader Raila Odinga for his silence over the whole matter saying that, as a leader who aspired to assume the highest position in the land, Raila ought to have censured Babu Owino for his foul language.

“Raila Odinga doesn’t seem interested in mentoring the youth into leaders who the country will depend on in the future. He is rather preoccupied in sacrificing them on the altar of politics,” said Wa Gathu.

He described the NASA leader as an irresponsive leader whose only interest was to ascend to the country’s leadership by hooks and crooks, regardless of the consequences.

He warned him that as business community, they would not sit down and watch as he dragged the country’s economy to the brink.

“We will not accept to lose more business. Our economy cannot suffer because of only one man!” warned Wa Gathu.

In many African communities, the fear of curses and cursing is real. A curse is a disturbing anguish in life and living. Curses have been an occasional tool for Kenyan communities powerless to stop certain ills in the society. Anybody seen to be severing the above social organisation not only incurs a curse, but is taken to be a curse personified.

On the other hand, whoever or whatever positively enhances these bonds within this invaluable family solidarity acquires blessings. Such a person becomes a yearned for blessing.

Of immense importance is the mention of the very anatomy of the mothers which, among the Africans, is a serious taboo issue, ill-willed language of bad omen. The very mention of terms like mother’s private part, breasts, womb, pubic hairs, the very act of sexual intercourse... and by the mothers themselves is despicable among the Africans.