![[Photo] Trans Nzoia man buried while seated in upright posture in special coffin](https://westernkenyatimes.co.ke/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/30716626_613723462306259_8922006654279483392_n-jpg.webp)
Photos of an elderly Luhya man buried while seated in an upright coffin have set tongues wagging both in the village and in social media circles.
The man is of the Balunda clan of the Bukusu tribe, whose culture demands that a deceased person be buried while in a sitting position.
The culture is said to have originated with their leader, known as Mulunda, who had gone to graze livestock, which later returned without him.
The man was later found dead on an anthill, and the family honored him by burying him while seated.
The villagers began a search for the missing old man, only to find him dead on an anthill.
Clan members also believe that burying the deceased in an upright sitting position enables them to rise up instantly on the day they are summoned by God.
On how possible it is to make a dead person sit in a sitting position, Michael Masinde, who once lost a family member, told VOA in 2009: “We have to speak to the deceased in a low tone to make them understand that we still love them and should agree with our requests and cultural practices, otherwise, it would be difficult to make them sit in the coffin because of the hard bones and joints.”
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