Two people were killed in a funeral night vigil popularly known as 'Disco Matanga' at Ichengo market in Butula Sub-county, Busia County.
The incident happened on January 2, 2025, despite the government’s ban on the night vigils.
A middle-aged man identified as Mr Jotham Oduor was attacked and killed by a mob after he was accused of stabbing to death Mr Naman Ochieng Auka, 23, from Lubanga village, Matungu Sub-county in Kakamega.
The irate mob is reported to have dragged the suspect from his house at Ichengo to Siribo Primary School, where the murder of Auka took place before they beat him to death in retribution.
The overnight vigils are rampant in funerals within Western and Nyanza regions and are used to collect money to support funeral arrangements, even though the government announced its ban in the entire country.
Security organs have failed to enforce the ban, leaving loud music to play throughout the night allowing youth to engage in casual sex, abusing drugs, and consuming alcohol at will.
Mr Joel Olwenyi, a multi-sectoral researcher from Kakamega, said disco matanga is to blame for the spread of Sexually Transmitted Diseases and criminal activities like murder, theft, assault, and burglary. Cases of defilement, rape, and gang rape are also reported.
“The authorities have become reluctant and allowed a situation where people are mourning, yet others are rejoicing leading to another death because of disco matanga. Families should be left to mourn and also allowed to conduct the ceremony of their loved ones without any other additional burden because of disco matanga,” said Mr Olwenyi.
Communities in the Western region celebrate the death of their loved one in a unique manner that makes the funeral expensive.
In most homes, it takes weeks before the dead are buried and during this period, people camp in the home of the deceased to soothe the bereaved.
Mr Jackson Obonyo, 75, said those who gathered in the home of the deceased during the night vigils showed their close attachment to the bereaved family.
“It promoted unity in the villages because each one wanted to attend the gathering so that it would reciprocate when calamity befell them,” said Mr Obonyo.
But the vigils have been robbed of their original purpose as youth have turned them into a platform where all manner of evil activities are done.
Teenagers have taken advantage of the events to engage in immoral behaviors that have negative consequences.
The disco matangas usually attracts teenagers from within and outside the village, with others having to walk tens of kilometers at night to attend the event.
Many end up engaging in unprotected sex, others abuse illicit alcohol, smoke bhang, and other brain-stimulating drugs.
Another worrying act is the engagement of the teenagers in crime as some of the youth attending the night dances are usually armed with crude weapons such as machetes, axes, pangas, and swords.
The weapons have since caused fights among the teenagers, sometimes ending up in the formation of groups for revenge.
Sometimes they are used to break into people’s houses, nearby shops, and farms.
Despite the threat of HIV/Aids, many adolescents report engaging in casual sex in these events, sometimes with multiple partners, and mostly without protection as sex in exchange for money thrives in the events.
Mr Olwenyi said because many adolescents engage in unprotected sex at occasion, the dances contribute to high HIV/Aids prevalence, a rise in teenage pregnancies leading to dropping out from school, and high cases of indiscipline among the teenagers.
The researcher says many girls are left with no one responsible for their activities in the events and they end up messing without control.
“Drug, alcohol reinforced by music, facilitates unprotected sex on occasions and is contributing to indiscipline cases among teenagers. Urgent interventions need to be formulated with parents and funeral organizers to contain the youth,” he said.
He said gang rape cases are reported when boys want to punish an arrogant girl. “One boy approaches her and takes her to a house and after having sex with her, he will wake other guys and tell them to also have sex with her and then chase her away,” he added.
Despite the government ban on the night vigil dance, little is being done by those in authority to effect the directive.
Whereas county commissioners warn chiefs and their assistants who fail to implement the directive in their jurisdictions of dire consequences, loud music is still played in many villages in Western regions whenever there is a funeral.
