Every ethnic community has elders. Elders from various communities in the olden days had different ways of punishing people who offended others or did things against the communities' beliefs, culture and set laws.
In Ukambani, the elders had an organization called Mbaí (Clan) which used to set rules and regulations. If anyone went against them, he/she would face the music.
Some of these offenses included insulting elders, nonpayment of other people's debts, insulting parents, defiling a child and incest, theft etc.
Ways of punishing the offenders depended on the offence committed.
Below are some of the most dreaded ways clan elders used to punish offenders in Ukambani:
1. Sack and fire
The offender was put in a sack and put close next to a fierce lit fire for hours.
2. Sack, peppers, and fire
The offender was put inside a sack and the sack tied in the opening.
Then he was put close to a fire and some peppers were thrown in the fire.
This made the man sneeze for hours due to the peppers.
3.Tree and sisal
The elders with the assistance of young energetic men tied the offender on a tree and applied sisal soup on his body.
You can imagine the itching for hours or the whole day or even 24 hrs according to the offense one committed.
4. Tree and rope
They used to tie the offender on a tree upside down for hours.
These punishments made offenders fear committing offenses again because they knew what they would go through.
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