Burials are never fun events, especially in Luo Nyanza, where such functions are given extreme seriousness.

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However, there have been some major changes in how the events are being dined currently, which is to a large extent different to the old ways.

Here are some of the changes;

1. Use of catering organizations

The use of catering organizations is the new mode of operations in Luo Nyanza, where burial functions are more of celebrations characterized by eating and drinking.

Unlike before where family members and relatives joined hands to serve the visiting mourners, groups have taken the jobs, and bring with them utensils and at times seats.

However, this has not come without disadvantages, including loss of huge chunks of meat, with most people who have hired the groups lamenting of food going missing.

2. Slaughtering

Before, bold family members and villagers would be invited to slaughter the animal, mostly a cow or cows, set to be fed to mourners.

But this is no longer the case, with professional slaughterhouse workers taking over, with their pay not being money but a part of the animal's body, mostly the skin.

This has been embraced to avoid clashes with the ministry of health and to prevent initial cases where neighbours would hide some meat to take to their families at home.

Given that animals are normally slaughtered at the far end of the homestead, near the fence, it was easy to sneak it out using children.

3. Go and come back

Burial functions act as the get together for relatives in many families of Luo Nyanza, being a mandatory reason for family members to troop back to villages.

However, some people who don't like going back to the village have devised a way of spending as little time as possible in the village.

Some will land in the village hours a few hours before the actual burial and leave immediately after the function, which can also be as a result of a tight schedule back in the city.

But in a normal situation, people are expected to spend atleast a few days at home after the burial in honour of the deceased.