Kenya lying in the eastern part of Africa boasts of a rich
culture and tradition. During your visit to this country, you will
discover their rich cultural tradition. Kenya is a land of diversity and
its culture has faced constant changes. Right from the days of the
cavemen to the present generation, the lives of the Kenyans have gone
through great changes. Kenya records an extremely complex history which
is manifested through the diversity of the land in the present times.
Kenya
is a melting pot of different types of cultures and standard of living.
On one hand you will find that people are technology savvy and on the
other hand you will find the natives following the traditional way of
living life. In other words, the modern and the traditional coexist in
Kenya. People belonging to over 40 different ethnic groups live in Kenya
in the present times. The main group of tribes includes Bantu, Nilotic,
Hamitic, Kikuyu, Luyha, Luo, Kalenjin, Meru, Kamba, Masai, Swahili,
Tirkana and Kisii. All of them have their own culture and tradition
which are extremely rich and colorful.
The Kikuyu tribe has
embraced the modern ways of living life, while the Masai tribe still
holds on to their belief that God had given them the responsibility to
take care of cattle. Their main source of sustenance is the cattle and
they worship it. The Samburu and the Turkana tribes are also nomads
though many of them have adopted the modern means of living.
According
to the custom of the Riuki tribal group, the guests are welcomed with a
traditional drink known as Muratina. Tribal laws are primary and
everybody must abide by them. The tribes worship Ngai who is believed to
be the creator of the tribes. The tribes believe that sacrificing a
goat under a fig tree near the sacred mountain can bring rains. Their
group dance with traditional music and colorful costumes will make you
marvel.
They also have a tradition of singing songs while going to
work on the fields. The traditional meal consists of Githeri, which is
basically bean stew and maize (corn), mukino which is a preparation of
mashed sweet potatoes and green peas along with roasted goat. It is
rustic and a nourishing meal. The was a traditional dish of the Kikuyu
tribe and incorporating a meat protein was not always necessary as meat
was scarce in tribal life so it was mostly eaten vegetarian, but the
beans provided most of the protein in this dish. Give it a try along
with some Chapati bread and rice and you will love it.
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