Mechanism to preserve local culture launched in Rabai-Kilifi County

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The war to shun away traditional practices that are behind the clock has been the tune that has been danced in almost all the 42 tribes in Kenya calling for the need to embrace modern way of life and technology in day to day lives.

However there are some practices that need to be practiced to safeguard the originality of each community and probably transit the same from generation to generation.

Coast region has been known for being a hotspot for tourism generating millions of revenue from tourism sector, but stake holders in the industry insist more is yet to be tapped in selling the Mijikenda culture.

Rabai is well known in the annals of history as the place where Christianity and modern learning in Kenya started well over 150 years ago.

 In 1994 the Krapf Memorial Museum was founded to give formal and a perpetual reminder to monumental events during the advent of early missionaries.

Today this place represents a mixture of the history of Christianity, slavery and the Mijikenda culture whose evidence is still in place.

Most Mijikenda are nowadays either Muslim or Christians due the assimilation into modern cultures some on the other hand still stick to their indigenous beliefs.

In a move to show case the Mijikenda culture, at Kaya Rabai, an initiative by Kaya elders, traditional dancers and others stakeholders, have teamed up and come up with a cultural village where in this modern world people can now enjoy and learn on how the Rabai community used to live before the coming of missionaries.

Its “Rabai Museum cultural center” also known to “Kaya Mudzi Muvya” (Kaya new village” where visitors can enjoy the real life or original Rabai person.

According to Mohamed Kadilo, the project manager, the aim for the initiative was to sell out the rich culture of Rabai community.

“Our village tour offer a real life experience dated back to the 18^th century away from all comfort of modern technology and enlighten visitors on various cultural practices that are performed to date.” He revealed

10yrs, Maraga Washe, a syd 3 pupil at Benyoka,playing 5 drums at ago

Kadilo admitted that Mijikenda Kaya elders have been the instrument of leadership before the coming of Christianity and modern technology, adding that they survived without the current modern transport and used traditional healers to deal with diseases among others.

Such innovation by the Kaya elders helped the community to combat vital life challenges that has made Kayas to be strong to present days; some of these ideas are not known to most of the current generation who are overwhelmed by modern life style.

At the cultural center that is expected to emphasize on Rabai community among the nine tribes making Mijikenda.

According to Kadilo, their interest is to encourage more on domestic tourism as their aim is to raise funds to cater for more on education of the young health among other basic needs.

Demonstration how traditional marriage were conducted

“As we motivate our people to preserve their culture, we intend to set out a kitty to cater for education of those parents whom will be involved in the activities at the village including students who play drums. As the committee we will be monitoring the progress of these children in school as we help them nature and practice their culture.” He added calling on need to mobilize schools to visit the cultural village to learn more on the Rabai culture.

Mijikenda community has been known for its rich sacred Kaya forest, but in recent times, an increasing disregard for traditional values and a rising demand for land, fuel wood, iron ore, and construction and carving wood materials have put severe pressure on many of the Kaya forests.

Over the last 50 years, many of the kayas have been drastically reduced in size, and land that was communal property has been registered under individual title and sold to nationals or foreign speculators

According to Daniel Garero, a Rabai Kaya elder, there is need to protect the forest as they have become a target,

“ there is a danger facing our forest as the rate at which people are destroying them is alarming and if nothing is done our next generation will know nothing about these sacred places. It’s in these sacred places that we have been doing our rituals asking for rain from God, but if nothing is done all will lost.” Noted the elder.

Garero insisted on the need for peace and unity for the project to yield the intended fruits to the community.

The cultural village is situated at the heart of the Kaya Rabai forest where Dr. Krapf is said to have lived with the community for two years from 1844-1846; located about 25km North West of Mombasa off the Mombasa-Nairobi highway on the Mazeras Kaloleni road about half an hour drive from Mombasa.

Kayas are among the twelve elements inscribed by the 2003 UNESCO convention for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage and was listed on 1^st October 2009; where tradition and practices associated to the Kayas in the sacred forests of the Mijikenda are recognized.

The cultural center is aimed to create opportunities for the community to earn a leaving as they make a transition of their culture and traditions from generation to generation.

Traditional dancers entertaining guest during the launch.

These traditions and practices protect the Mijikenda’s codes of ethics and governance systems, and include prayers, oath-taking, burial rites and charms, naming of the newly born, initiations, reconciliations, marriages and coronations.

  

The use of natural resources within the Kayas, which are sources of valuable medicinal plants, is regulated by practices that have contributed to the conservation of their biodiversity.

Speaking during the launch of the project the chairperson of Kilifi county, Tourism committee, Naftali Kombo, challenged the leaders of the project and the entire community to spearhead a campaign to raise tree seedlings for indigenous trees found in Kaya to be planted in the forest.

“Now that we have started this program, the challenge is how to restore the face of our kayas because we have turned evil to our sacred forests we need to plant more trees. As we focus on improving our economic well being with our culture we should not forget some of our activities are threat.” He adviced.

Stella Mutta, project assistant of “Smallholder innovation for resilience” (Sifor) who are partners in implementing the project for the community, there was need to get back to traditional means to deal with the impact of climate change globally.

“we need to learn from our elders how they used to survive during the dry period, it’s evident that the rains received are not adequate so we want the community have a test of what used to be done to deal with the challenges that we face our lives.” She noted

Speaking during the official opening of the cultural village, Kilifi county deputy governor Kennedy Mwakombo, called on the Mijikenda community to respect Kaya elders and challenged them to be proud to sell their culture.

He revealed in the new devolved system of government, the Kaya elders will play a pivotal role in improving tourism through cultural practices and celebrations.

“ as Kilifi we are focusing to have tourism to be among the leading sector of Kilifi county economy, so we need to embrace such project and unite with all our leaders for the success this project.” Said Mwakombo

At the same time the deputy governor insisting on the stressed on the need to have leaders lead by example in embracing the project and market the village outside Rabai and other parts of the republic.

End