Shock and more grief engulfed a village in Budalangi Constituency, Busia County, after a man attending a funeral collapsed and died under unclear circumstances.

Emmanuel Makokha, a devoted choir member who was the lead drummist during the funeral in Marenga Village, collapsed just when the coffin bearing the body of the deceased was being hoisted to the grave.

As Makokha was beating the drums vigorously on the graveside, he suddenly collapsed before tumbling down the very grave.

The incident brought the sad ceremony into a stand still. Makokha, whose father happened to be the presiding pastor in the same funeral, was rushed to Port Victoria Sub-County Referral Hospital, where he was declared dead upon arrival.

While church members described his death as part of God’s timing, citing Ecclesiastes 3 that “there is a time for everything,” local Bunyala elders attributed the death to cultural retribution.

According to the elders, Makokha collapse was caused by a spiritual punishment for allegedly engaging in an affair with the deceased’s wife.

“In our Luhya traditions, someone who had an affair with the deceased’s spouse should never attend their burial,” said elder Ekesa. “If they do, they risk collapsing and dying on the spot. This is a clear case of cultural justice.”

The elders further stated that Makokha should have consulted them for traditional cleansing if he had concerns about attending the funeral. They claimed herbal remedies exist to protect individuals from such occurrences.

The funeral resumed after a short delay, while Emmanuel’s body was taken to the hospital mortuary for a postmortem examination to establish the official cause of death.