Widow Inheritance and Purification Rites Among the Bukusu: Rituals of Transition and Continuity in the Precolonial Era

Author: Agnes Kwatera , Precious Joan Wapukha , Maureen Muleka

Date: 2025

Abstract: Globally, millions of women and men experience widowhood each year, with a high prevalence among elderly populations. Among the Bukusu, as in many African societies, widowhood is governed by strong cultural customs relating to mourning, inheritance, gender, and social life. While widowhood is predominantly perceived as an individual psychological shift across the globe, in Africa, it is often a collective and ritualized event that is designed to socially, symbolically, and structurally marginalize women. Among the Bukusu, customs like widow inheritance (khulabana) and purification rituals, along with social isolation, serve to bolster clan solidarity and spiritual continuity. These practices, however, often restrict autonomy and increase the vulnerability of widows to patriarchal domination and emotional, economic, and physical abuse. This study sought to understand the socio-meaning and gendered relations surrounding widowhood rituals using Symbolic Interactionism and Feminist Theory. It relied on a historical research design alongside case studies conducted in four sub-counties of Bungoma, collecting data from 205 participants through interviews and focus groups. Primary oral testimonies and secondary archival materials were both analyzed thematically. The findings indicate that indigenous institutions were transformed by colonial and postcolonial changes, which simultaneously entrenched patriarchal systems that continue to marginalize widows. Customary norms, whether bolstered by legal changes or contemporary rights-based initiatives, are in fact, deeply entrenched and tend to violate protective legislation. Widows encounter emotional distress, social alienation, and denial of succession rights, particularly when they resist widowhood rituals. This research addresses a significant gap in scholarship by documenting the experiences of widows in Bukusu society and illustrating the interplay of socio-historical factors and contemporary traditions that define widowhood. The study calls for culturally appropriate frameworks that incorporate the rights, mental health, and gender equity needs of widows within the context of modern African settings aligned with ancestral values

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