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10 Kenyan traditions you should know about

Kenya is made up of more than 40 tribes, and each tribe has its own traditions. Traditions are good because they help us maintain our identity and heritage. Because I have already given you the history of Kenya, it’s only fair that I tell you about her traditions.

An article like the 10 Kenyan traditions you should know about would however not do justice to all the traditions that are in existence in this part of the world, but it would be a good start to highlight some of the more popular of these traditions. Don鈥檛 forget that we also have general traditions that go across the board for all Kenyans.

There is a lot that sets Kenyans apart, aside from the different languages they speak. Each tribe has their way of doing what they do, and even local Kenyans would not be able to tell you what some of these traditions are because they are way too many!

I will start by highlighting general traditions, then we can have a few examples of tribe-specific traditions. So without further ado, here are the 10 Kenyan traditions you should know about.

Photo by Maarufu Mohamed, Standard

1. Kenyans flood the coast during major holidays

Every time we have a major season/ holiday in Kenya including the Christmas, New Year, and Easter holidays, you are guaranteed one thing – that the Kenyan coast will be bursting at it seems with all the people visiting from Nairobi and other major cities in the country.

Mombasa, Malindi, and Lamu are some of the preferred holiday destinations for many Kenyans looking to have some fun on the sandy beaches and beautiful hotels.

Seafront hotels and restaurants enjoy booming businesses during this time as their hotels are always booked to capacity, so if you are a tourist planning your trip to Kenya around this time, you might want to make reservations way before you get here. This will not only ensure that you get a nice room in a decent hotel, but you will also get an opportunity to interact with Kenyans and their families.

Photo by Oaks & Corks Kenya

2. Alcohol is a way of life

Kenyans love their alcohol just like they love their tea (you can read more on Kenyans love for tea in our article 鈥�10 things you should know about Kenyan culture鈥�).

After a long day at work, many Kenyans will flock their local bars or nightclubs in Nairobi for a cold beer while catching up with friends or to watch a game. Kenyans also love to make an alcoholic drink they call “Dawa”. This is a cocktail whose main ingredient is vodka. Alcohol brings Kenyans together.

If there are major football games (especially European premier league games) on television, you will be sure to find Kenyans crowded in night spots enjoying their alcohol and “Nyama choma” while watching these games. And just like they love to talk about politics, you can never miss a Kenyan who wants to talk about football, over a drink or two.

Photo by Standard Media

3. Security checks are the order of the day

Security checks in Kenya have become a tradition, especially with the regular terrorism threats. Unfortunately, a number of people have lost their lives to terrorists in the recent past, and so security is a big issue everywhere you go in Kenya.

You cannot enter a building, especially those in major cities without being frisked. This is especially true in Kenyan malls where we have trained police who search you and who also have dogs that are trained to detect anything suspicious be it on you or in your vehicle.

There’s also burglaries and attacks here and there whether in the big cities or villages at night, so beware.

In addition, when you come to Kenya for the first time, you will notice that almost all houses and apartments have their own enclosures. These are mostly protective stone walls with barbed wires at the top or broken pieces of glass that are arranged in such a way that they can cut you if you try to jump over the fence.

Families that can afford to hire an “askari” (watchman) also do so as a safety measure.

Photo by Kenya Holidays

4. Polygamy is legal in Kenya

Kenya’s parliament passed a bill that allows its men to marry multiple wives in March of 2014. This bill that was officially signed into law, finally recognized what had for a long time been a cultural practice in the country.

The bill was supported by many male Members of Parliament, and it allows Kenyan men to take more wives without consulting existing spouses.

The passing of the bill was met with anger by female members of parliament who stormed out of the building in protest and disgust. However, with the bill having being passed anyway, polygamy is now a common practice in the country and it is done openly among many Kenyans especially in the rural communities, and has become a tradition.

Photo by NPR

5. “Kaa chonjo” is a phrase you need to understand

鈥淜aa chonjo鈥� means always be alert. You have to always be alert when in Kenya, for many reasons. I am listing it as one of the 10 Kenyan traditions you should know about because being always alert in Kenya has become a way of life.

From using public vehicles, to the water and electricity and even cooking gas in your house, to the people you hire to work for you in your home, to the places you choose to live in鈥�always be aware of your surroundings.

Let me explain some of these:

Public transport is the most popular form of transport in the country. However, some drivers have been known to be reckless when driving, hence causing major accidents and deaths on the roads. So if you are in a vehicle that is over speeding or being driven carelessly, always 鈥淶usha!鈥� (Make noise).

You can also be pick pocketed or carjacked in a 鈥渕atatu鈥� (public service vehicle), so leave your valuables at home/hotel, and don鈥檛 go flashing expensive jewelry. Always be alert.

For water and electricity, you have to invest in extra water storage and candles in that order if living in most parts of Kenya. Why? Because depending on where you stay, you can run out of water and electricity at any time. The Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC), Kenya’s major supplier of electricity has acquired the nickname “Kenya – Please Light Candles” because there are lots of times when you will find yourself stuck in the dark. Same goes for the City Council water that many Kenyans especially in Nairobi depend on.

You also have to 鈥渒aa chonjo鈥� with the help that you hire in your home. There have been many cases of house helps and security guards stealing or colluding with gangs to rob your house and valuables, so you have to always conduct a background check when looking for someone to take care of your home or children.

For where you choose to stay, you have to also conduct a background check on the surroundings. Of course there are obvious places you have to steer away from, for your own safety.

Always being alert is a tradition here. Kaa chonjo!

Photo by The Standard

6. For the Luo Community, mourning the dead is an elaborate affair

Mourning the dead is an extravagant ceremony among the Luo people of Kenya. The Luo have explained this as a way of showing respect to the dead, a final befitting send-off. When a Luo dies, mourning starts immediately, and can last for several days or even weeks. The mourning is defined by singing and dancing that is meant to chase away the spirits of death.

The extravagance of a mourning ceremony will depend on many factors including the gender of the deceased, the age, marital and social status, the circumstance of their death, and even the area they come from.

The family of the bereaved will go ahead and even hire “professional” mourners to liven up the mourning in a bid to avoid gossip and embarrassment to the family if the event doesn鈥檛 appear lively enough.

Photo by People Daily Kenya

7. For the Maasai Community, Enuoto, an event of shaving the Morans, is a once in a lifetime ceremony

The Maasai are one of the most popular tribes of Kenya especially with tourists, as they are the one group that has maintained many of their traditions.

In our article the top 10 Facts about the Maasai People of Kenya, I went into detail to explain many of their traditions. They do however have many more traditions, one of which includes the shaving of the Morans (Warriors), an event that sees young Maasai warriors transition into senior community warriors. This event is referred to as 鈥淓nuoto鈥�. Enuoto is a once in a lifetime ceremony that is performed every ten years.

Before the ceremony, the Morans are not allowed to do things independently from their age mates. On the day of the ceremony, the Moran age-set are donned with ochre-red plaited hair, colourful beads, and painted faces, and they arrive at the ceremony carrying sticks and humming traditional songs. They then go to a set river where they wash the red ochre paints off their hair and faces, and then head back to the venue of the ceremony. Here, they get their hairs shaved, usually by their mothers, after which the “Oloibonis” (community elders) spits on their faces as a sign of blessings.

Any Moran who does not go through this ceremony is not allowed to marry.

Bulls are also slaughtered during the event and a traditional brew (“Enasho”) made from a combination of honey and aloe roots is served to the elders and the graduating Morans.

8. For the Kipsigis Community, land is given to their unmarried

Unlike many Kenyan communities whose cultures do not allow their women to be given land, the situation is different when it comes to the Kipsigis community. In this community, women can be allocated land by their parents or brothers in the case where they fail to get married. When a woman has reached her prime age and with no potential suitors chasing after her, her family is allowed to give her a piece of land to settle on where she can farm and build a house for herself. If she gets children, they are the ones that inherit that piece of land in the event that she passes on.

Photo by The Standard

9. For the Bukusu Community, traditional circumcision is still the norm

Circumcision (cutting off of foreskin) is a rite of passage for many Kenyan men. The way it is done varies with whether you live in the city or in the village, and it also varies greatly from one community to the other.

Circumcision however becomes more interesting when you start to compare how different communities do it.

For the Bukusu, a sub-tribe of the Luhya community, the young initiates (usually boys between the ages of 12 to 14) are woken up at 3 am in the morning, and escorted to a river. They are then made to strip and stay in the water until their bodies become numb. Mud is then applied all over their bodies. The entire village then gathers around them (no women are allowed close to the river) as they stand with their feet firmly on the ground, eyes facing the sky, and arms resting on their sides as they are being circumcised.

During the circumcision, you are not allowed to flinch, wince or cringe, because by doing so, you will be committing the ultimate form of cowardice and you then become the laughing stock of the village. Additionally, no girl will want to marry you to avoid the reputation of having married a coward. Unbelievable? Believe it!

Photo by Ananke

10. For the Luo Community, wife inheritance is still a thing

There is a Luo proverb that says “Dhako chogo morudore gik libamba jok modong鈥檛o gweno”. This translates to “A woman is the middle bone that the clan chews after her husband鈥檚 death”, and is the proverb from which wife inheritance is built.

This might be shocking to you as a tourist visiting a community like this, and it is demeaning to women (in my opinion), but it is actually a tradition that has been there for a very long time.

The dangers of this tradition is the spread of HIV/AIDs infections among a big number of members of the community, which has seen many families lose their parents, children, or siblings, leaving homes deserted.

So there you are! The 10 Kenyan traditions you should know about. Some are shocking even to us Kenyans, others are completely misunderstood by outsiders, but they all continue to stand the test of time with all this modernity that is the current Kenya.

There are so many more traditions, but I hope I have created your interest in learning more about Kenya with these particular ones.