Kenya Professional Mourners

Loud and expressive mourners are common at funerals around the world — but in parts of Kenya, some of them may be paid workers. Professional mourners in western Kenya play an important and common role in funerals, adding a level of intensity to collective grief in support of traditional local beliefs. The role is an unlikely but relatively well-paid job in one of the country’s poorer regions. The increasing trend of paid mourners, which experts say is a function of urbanization, is also a unique example of how Christianity is blended with traditional rites in the region.