The Bukusu Council of Elders has condemned a section of politicians from Bungoma County who led crowds in chanting and singing traditional circumcision songs that are only performed when boys are about to be circumcised and initiated into manhood.
Bukusu elders, led by their chairman Richard Walukano, have formally summoned the leaders involved for disciplinary action and warned that those who ignore the summons risk being cursed.
"Any defiant leader will be voted out in 2027. We are greatly concerned with the current spate of reckless political utterances being witnessed in Bungoma County. We inform political leaders that circumcision songs are traditionally sacred and cannot be misused to settle political scores or for the sake of political egos. This is a total abuse of culture and a lack of respect for the intended purpose of such songs," the chairman noted.
"Leaders must stop eroding our cultural values for their own selfish missions and egos. As elders, we have a higher obligation to uphold our culture for the sake of future generations. Those involved must apologise to the community. If we are pushed to the wall, we will start administering curses to those disrespecting our culture and dangerously confronting our cultural values," said Walukano.
Through their chairman, the elders raised concern over an incident that occurred in Khasoko Ward on Saturday, May 10, 2026, where leaders allegedly hurled insults at Speaker Moses Wetang’ula and went further to lead crowds in chanting circumcision songs intended to demean leaders from the community.
The elders further noted that such utterances erode cohesion and have the potential to weaken the much-needed unity and collective purpose of the community.
They advised politicians to guard their public utterances and exercise restraint.
"We observe that many factors are contributing to the erosion of our cultural values. These include conduct by the political class at funerals and fundraising events in total disregard of our traditions, the absence of proper organisational structures within the community, lack of good societal role models, and the rationalisation of wrongdoing with impunity," said Walukano.
The elders regretted that society has increasingly prioritised money over knowledge and integrity.
They also cited weak societal values, lack of professional integrity, dishonesty, selfishness among political leaders, and the commercialisation of politics as factors contributing to the deterioration of the social fabric.
"Lack of good leadership, respect for the elderly and societal structures, declining morals, growing superiority complexes and the ‘big man syndrome’ among leaders, low incomes, and the urgent economic needs facing the growing number of unemployed youths explain the widening gap between the haves and have-nots, which has contributed to rising goonism across the country," they stated.
They added: "As elders who love and want to preserve our cultural system of values, we cannot afford to sit back and watch stray voices who, through ignorance and lack of respect for our traditions, continue demeaning and eroding our cultural values."
