Kenya's Communities by Musa Omusi
Within Kenya’s 44 recognized communities, different traditions and practices show the country’s diverse and vibrant culture. Get to know more about Kenya’s communities through these 10 traditional objects and ornaments...
Ear piercing was a tradition in most Kenyan communities
Each community had different practices when it came to the tradition of ear piercing. In nearly every community, both men and women had their ears pierced, while the stretching of the earlobes to make longer and wider holes was more common in communities living in central and western parts of Kenya.
Drums are the beating heart of Kenyan communities
Each Kenyan community has used drums for different purposes and the sound, style, and craft of drums have evolved over time. In many communities, only men would play the drums, while in others, certain drums were only used by women.
Communities could communicate via a huge horn
The Siwa is a side blown horn and was used by Swahili leaders in the 17th and 18th century to announce ceremonies. The sound of the Siwa was so loud it was able to reach communities living far away to invite them to join the ceremony.
The Kanga holds a common thread that unites communities
The Kanga is a cloth that was originally produced by the Swahili coastal communities. Through its colorful, dynamic designs and inspirational sayings stitched into the fabrics, it has been thought to unite cultures and people within communities.
There’s a gourd for every community
Gourds are containers that can be used for storage, measuring, and fermentation. Most Kenyan communities used gourds to store water and porridge, but they have also been used to keep milk, make beer, and feed children.
Find the leaders by looking for their elaborate headdresses
Across Kenya’s communities, people in leadership positions, administrators, and sometimes the wealthy often wore headdresses for special occasions. Various communities also had specific headdresses which were worn by chiefs and elders who had an exceptional level of authority and wisdom.
For Kenyan communities, masks symbolize transformation
While the style and use of masks vary from community to community, many masks have a spiritual and religious meaning. They are often used in ritual dances and social or religious events, with the craft of mask-making often being passed on from father to son.
Each Kenyan community wears beads in their own way
Most Kenyan communities are renowned for their bead ornaments and each community used different patterns, colors, and types of beads depending on their specific cultural ideas of beauty.
The apron was a wardrobe essential for Kenyan communities
Before modern, western attire, Kenyan communities covered their bodies with different types of skirts and aprons. They were used for practical, ceremonial, and decorative purposes, and were usually tied around the waist to cover the front of the body.
You could identify different sub-communities by their shield
Shields were used by Kenyan communities as a symbol of identification. For example, in the Maasai community, various shield designs were used for different sub-communities as part of a complex identification system.
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