Western Kenya’s Nyanza region is one of the areas where the HIV/AIDS pandemic is highly prevalent.  According to the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council (NSDC), the worst hit county is Homa Bay, with HIV prevalence of approximately 15.2%, compared with the national average prevalence of 3.3%.

While many of the contributing factors in research and community reports have been cited  as widow inheritance, low circumcision rates and fish-for sex economy, a recent study in the former Nyanza Province, led by Strathmore University, identifies social gatherings, particularly discos associated with funerals, as a hotspot of new HIV/AIDS infections. 

The research, “Estimated HIV risk around funeral practices and mitigation strategies in western Kenya: A mathematical modelling study,” was led by Prof Samuel M. Mwalili  “Disco funerals or disco matanga are culturally significant events in western Kenya but create high-risk settings for HIV transmission through factors such as overnight travel, alcohol use, and transactional or coerced sex,” says Prof Mwalili.

 The study estimated that disco funerals contributed 7.8% of HIV infections between 1980 and 2024, peaking at 9.9% in 2004. Future projections (2025–2050) show that biomedical prevention, biobehavioural interventions such as condom use and reduced partners, and female empowerment could avert 9.7%, 2.9%, and 1.2% of new HIV infections, respectively. 

The study observes that disco funerals attract large numbers of young people, especially unmarried women, for overnight vigils, dancing, and fundraising. Many events during these occasions create an elevated risk environment for HIV transmission. 

Given Kenya’s commitment to ending HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, disco funerals represent a unique but under-addressed context for targeted HIV prevention. “Despite widespread HIV prevention efforts, funeral practices like disco matanga remain overlooked in policy and programming. Young women are disproportionately affected due to gender norms and limited agency. Current regulatory efforts, such as restricting children or banning nighttime activities, have been inconsistent and hard to enforce,” the researchers observe in their report.

The landmark study suggests various policies that can greatly reduce infections to funeral attendees who are prone to risky behaviours. “Oral or injectable HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) offers a highly effective prevention strategy, reducing HIV acquisition risk by up to 95% per act when adherence is maintained and potentially averting nearly 9.7% of adult infections,” the study recommends. It also suggests the promotion of condom use, reducing alcohol and drug consumption, and limiting multiple sexual partnerships at disco funerals through targeted outreach. This provides a low-cost, community-based, and culturally adaptable approach that could prevent up to 2.9% of new HIV infections. 

“Empowering women and girls to avoid unwanted sexual encounters at funerals through economic support, community sensitisation, and provision of safe spaces tackles the root causes of vulnerability and gender inequities while delivering long-term benefits beyond HIV prevention,” says Prof Mwalili, a statistician and mathematical modeller and Adjunct Professor at Strathmore University.

The study concludes that for policy, the priority is not to ban disco funerals but to reshape them into safer spaces through culturally sensitive, community-owned interventions.  “Coordinated action between government, civil society, and local leaders is essential to normalize HIV prevention within funeral practices. By recognizing disco funerals as both cultural assets and public health opportunities, Kenya can safeguard tradition while accelerating progress toward an HIV-free generation,” the study asserts.

Article written by: Otuma Ongalo