Luo Church began male cut a century ago

Nyanza, Kenya: Held back by tradition,
many people in Luo Nyanza were
reluctant to embrace circumcision even as
a way of reducing the spread of HIV/Aids.
However, for Nomiya Church, this practice
started long ago. Their men get
circumcised as a sign of the Biblical
covenant between God and Abraham.
Long before the government and non-
governmental organisations encouraged
the cut in Luo-Nyanza, the church was
already way ahead. In an interview with
The Counties, Hadroph Obore, the
Nomiya Church Bishop, said that Nomiya
Church was founded in 1907 by Johanna
Owalo after he got a revelation from God
that he should start a church in order to
teach Africans.He therefore called the
church ‘Nomiya’ which is a Luo word
meaning ‘being given’.
According to the church’s history, Owalo
was instructed to take a long sharp sword
and circumcise his adherents as a sign of
distinction between his adherents and
other Luo men. Obore says there are
certain procedures before the boys is
circumcised.
Forty days
“After a baby boy is born, we count up to
7 days and on the eighth day, the baby is
circumcised as indicated in Luke 2:21,”
says Obore. According to doctrines of the
church, the mother is kept in seclusion for
a period of 40 days after giving birth to a
boy. For a girl, the woman stays in
seclusion for 80 days.
“Our church doctrines demand that we
keep a woman in seclusion for about 40
days if she gives birth to a baby boy and
80 days if it is a girl. This therefore gives
her enough time to heal after giving
birth,” explains Obore. In conventional
ceremonies, the cut is voluntary and is
performed by qualified medical staff. But
in the Nomiya Church, Obore says, only
those inspired by the Holy Spirit can
perform the ritual.
“Just like the hospitals where qualified
personnel perform the cut, we also have
specific people that would be inspired by
the Holy Spirit to circumcise. And the
person who is allowed to perform this is
called a Sharif,” says Obore. “Since this is
a very delicate and involving process, not
so many can perform it and we therefore
have one Sharif in the entire Siaya
County,” he says.
Daniel Omondi, a member of Nomiya
Church, says when one wants his son
circumcised, they have to report the
matter to the church elders. Thereafter,
the Sharif is contacted. He will then pray
over it having been inspired by the Holy
Spirit.
Take time
However, Sharif is not an exception to
righteousness. “He has to come a day
prior to circumcision. He should not have
slept with a woman,” says Omondi.
Unlike in the old days where circumcision
was performed using one blade, Omondi
says that they now use sterilised surgical
blades. “In this era of HIV/AIDS, we use
sterilised surgical blades and we also
invite a medical practitioner to perform
the cut,” Omondi adds.
Omondi says they hardly experience
complications related to circumcision.
“We rarely experience circumcision-
related complications, but in case there is
any, we do call medical practitioners,” he
says, adding that they have got the
backing of organisations that perform
voluntary male circumcision.
“Most people appreciate the practice
since we have included the medical
personnel in our activities and we also
campaign for safe practice,” he says. “We
believe that a woman should take time
after delivery before she can have sex.
This helps in keeping the child healthy,”
says a member.
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