Amid growing complaints over lawlessness, traffic chaos and rising insecurity linked to funeral processions, the government has cracked down on the controversial “Reggae na Lami” phenomenon in Kakamega, banning all funeral processions and public mourning activities within the town’s Central Business District (CBD) and warning of tough action against those who flout the directive.
Authorities say the move is aimed at restoring order in the town centre, where funeral convoys have increasingly been blamed for disrupting business activities, paralysing traffic and providing cover for criminal behaviour.
In issuing the directive, security officials also designated alternative routes for mourners transporting bodies for burial in a bid to minimise disruption while preserving the dignity of funeral ceremonies.
The ban follows mounting complaints from residents and business owners who accuse participants in the increasingly popular Reggae na Lami processions of engaging in disorderly conduct, smoking bhang, obstructing roads and contributing to a general sense of insecurity within the town.
Announcing the ban, Kakamega Deputy County Commissioner Titus Mulei said no funeral procession would henceforth be permitted to pass through the CBD.
“Reggae na Lami, which is associated with loud music, must be confronted and brought to an end. I want to emphasise that we have banned it with immediate effect,” said Mulei.
He clarified that security agencies are not opposed to funeral processions or public mourning, provided they are conducted in an orderly and respectful manner.
“If the processions and mourning are conducted in an orderly manner, we would have no problem.
However, the kind of mourning we are witnessing in town, where youths stop vehicles, remove the casket from the hearse, place it in the middle of the road and begin singing and dancing to loud music while bringing everything to a standstill, will no longer be tolerated,” said the administrator.
Mulei noted that such activities not only inconvenience motorists and traders but also pose security risks and undermine public order.
He further warned that owners of hearses found transporting bodies in processions that contravene the directive risk having their operating licences revoked. “We do not want noise pollution, and we are going to engage all stakeholders, including those involved in the business of transporting the dead,” he added.
The latest directive signals a tougher stance by authorities against the increasingly contentious Reggae na Lami culture, which has become popular among sections of the youth as a way of paying tribute to friends and relatives who die suddenly, particularly in road accidents, violent incidents and other tragic circumstances.