RIP SHUSH, says Kasolo marking All Souls Day

November 2 is the All-Souls’ Day. This is the day of remembering our dearly departed. MWINGI TIMES reviewed how a cross-section of Kenyans marked this day.

 

Last year, Gospel singer Stephen Kasolo marked the day by remembering his late grandmother Mukwenze. He shared photos with the late grandma as well as released a song in her honour titled Nenda Salama Mukwenze.

“Just the other day, continue resting in peace dad, we miss you!”, wrote health officer Syengo Wamuthalu today. He lost his father on April 30, 2020.

A WhatsApp user who did not identify the person she was missing said, “Endeea ukoma nesa Kelitu (Continue resting in peace sister”).

Another noted that it is on All Souls Day that “we remember our loved ones and all the faithful departed”. Being a Christian, she prayed for her dad who has since departed. “Eternal rest grant unto them, Oh Lord and let your perpetual light shine upon them, Amen. Dad continues resting in peace” was the daughter’s message to her late father.

An anonymous author once said: The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living.

Some had candle lit sessions for honouring the departed.

Celebrated worldwide

All Souls Day is celebrated worldwide to remember the deceased friends and family.

The celebrations involve prayers, intercessions, alms and visits to cemeteries.

People mark All Souls Day believing that the poor souls in purgatory will be remembered. It is also called the Day of the Dead and the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed.

Roman Catholics and other Christian denominations mark this day.

The Kenya Economic Survey 2022 showed that more men than women are dying. The survey carried out by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics said that the number of registered deaths between the year 2017 and 2021 was higher among males that among females across all age groups.

The survey further revealed that men in Kenya were likely to die before the age of 60, their national life expectancy. The life expectancy for females stood at 66.5 years.

According to Statista, an online portal comparing mortality rate in Kenya, more men died in every 1000 than women.

“In 2020, the mortality rate for women was at 188.33 per 1000 female adults, while the mortality rate for men was at 258.61 per 1000 male adults in Kenya.”, it said.

STORY By MUSYOKA NGUI