LITERARY STYLISTIC DEVICES IN SIKHEBO AS AN ACCULTURATIVE DRAMATIC NARRATIVE OF BABUKUSU OF BUNGOMA COUNTY, KENYA

Babukusu community in Bungoma County in Kenya initiate boys into adulthood after every two years through a ceremony called sikhebo. The ritual involves literary stylistic devices that aid in the development of drama as well as transmit societal values and ideals to community members. The study adopted Literary Functionalism as a theoretical framework. This paper discusses literary stylistic devices in sikhebo as an acculturative dramatic narrative in the entire process of sikhebo, including preparation stage, ritual cut, through the seclusion period to the pass-out rite. Although sikhebo is a social-cultural ceremony, the whole process ritual is full of literary stylistic devices that contribute to its acculturative dramatic appeal. The research design adopts an analytical design. The ritual was analysed as a creative entity in which there exists a creative and fluid relationship between the performer and the audience realised through the employment of various modes of expression. It also used purposive sampling to select performances from three initiates with their parents, three neighbours, three circumcisers and five other relatives who formed the cast of the cultural theatrical piece. The study engaged non-participant observation and four Focus Group Discussions as the main methods of data collection. The performances were video recorded. Secondary sources helped the study to formulate the background, theoretical framework, literature review, research design, data analysis and ethical considerations. The study concluded that literary stylistic devices help in the development of plot in sikhebo as well as express the community's customs, traditions, beliefs and ideals.