Soldiering on after death of Ohangla maestro Abenny Jachiga
Abenny Jachiga's widow Belinda Aluoch holding the photo of the late Ohangla musician at her home in Chiga, Kisumu East.
In total contrast to the drama that characterised his burial, activities at the home of the late Ohangla musician Abenny Jachiga in Kadiju village in Chiga, Kisumu East, have been dormant.
For close to four years now, his 28-year-old widow Belinda Aluoch says they have had to contend with the prevailing circumstances as she struggles to make ends meet after the life of the promising artist was nipped at the peak of his musical career.
“Even though the majority of Kenyans have forged ahead without the man remembered for his stimulating Ohangla love songs, the family is yet to adjust to the new norm,” she said as we settled for an interview at her Chiga home.
While listening to his ‘Mano Kasinde’ hit song might be reassuring to his ardent fans, the composition elicits some mixed reactions from the wife and her two young children.
“As a family, we were not given ample time to mourn and give him a befitting send-off as we would have expected,” said Ms Belinda when we caught up with her for the interview at her home.
Within a few hours after developing breathing complications at his home in Chiga on June 10, 2020, Jachiga whose real name is Bernard Obonyo succumbed to pneumonia after being admitted at St Jairus Hospital in Kisumu.
Abenny Jachiga's widow Belinda Aluoch near the grave of the late Ohangla musician at her home in Chiga, Kisumu East.
To contain the prevalence of Covid-19 pandemic at the time, the Ministry of Health and the Kisumu County government issued regulations that, among others, capped the number of mourners at 15 and stipulated that burial should be conducted within 48 hours.
However, in total disregard of the laid down regulations, thousands of his fans turned out in their numbers and demanded that the burial be postponed to give them time to give the musician a decent burial.
The day-long chaotic scene forced the police who were overwhelmed to fire gunshots and tear gas to disperse the crowd as strangers took over the casket.
Amidst all the confusion and melee, the family was not spared as the police faced a difficult time in trying to enforce Covid rules.
The police were forced to bury 'Mano Kasinde' hit-maker in the dead of the night in an event witnessed by his younger brother Austin Omondi.
The next morning, the mother and the widow had to sit on the grave to plead with the mourners who stormed the home and threatened to exhume the body to accord him a befitting burial.
However, the unfortunate outcome wretched the emotions of the mother as she tried to come to terms with the loss of her sole breadwinner.
She did not live to celebrate the first anniversary of her son and passed on 11 months later.
In a twist of fate, Monica Auma faced the same destiny after developing breathing complications and succumbed three days later, says Ms Belinda.
“She got badly affected and breathed her last on my hand, just after arriving at the home of one of the local religious leaders where she requested to be taken," recalled the teary Belinda.
In the spirit of keeping the legacy of her husband alive, Ms Belinda at some point attempted to engage in composing Ohangla music but could not move forward after failing to get resources to record her debut song.
"Even though I have some passion, I realised that I was not able to fund the same and I have given up on that," she said.
To make ends meet, Ms Belinda practices peasant farming and is also involved in selling second-hand clothes at the busy Kibuye market and her village market in Chiga.
Abenny Jachiga's widow Belinda Aluoch standing at her home in Chiga, Kisumu East.
"With the little that I get, I have been able to provide for my family and progressively do some finishing works in my house," says the mother of two.
While well-wishers assisted the family in completing the construction of the house after the death of Jachiga in 2020, some final touches are yet to be done.
She however appreciates that she is able to earn some royalties from her husband's songs through Safaricom's Skiza Tunes.
But the spirit of Jachiga could be rekindled through his last-born son who has developed some interest in taking over the father's mantle in the music industry.
Whenever his song hits the airwaves, the eight-year-old is able to sing along the lines of 'Mano Kasinde' song that catapulted Jachiga to fame.
The song enumerates how people lie when caught with their partners and when they are hanging out with their cousins.
Jachiga is also famed for other songs such as 'Penzi ni Kama Yai' and 'Mano Maraga Odagi' which became a hit when the Supreme Court nullified the election of former President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2017.
