It is taboo for a woman or a girl to ride a donkey in Lamu Island and the rest of the archipelago unless it’s an emergency or totally unavoidable.
Lamu is predominantly Muslim which means morals are tightly hinged on the culture and religion of the region which is Bajuni’s and Islam respectively.
Donkeys in Lamu are revered animals, present in every household.
Riding them has however been reserved for men and boys only.
Women and girls can only watch from a distance as men enjoy donkey rides and the fun that comes with them.
However, young girls from the ages of one to 10 years are allowed to enjoy donkey rides, but have to stop immediately after they hit teenage or start menstruating.
Donkeys are the major mode of transport in Lamu Island and 35 other islands which make up the rest of the archipelago.
Apart from not being allowed to straddle donkeys, women and girls too are not allowed to escort or accompany the beasts of burden whenever they are out carrying goods.
In very few instances, young girls will be spotted riding donkeys but alongside a male companion who could be their father, brother or uncle.
There have also been scenarios where female tourists will be spotted enjoying donkeys rides in the region.
However, native Lamu women will not be seen straddling these animals.
Lamu elder Hassan Chonda said women are forbidden from riding donkeys because of the fear that they will expose parts of their bodies, something he says goes against their religion.
“In Islam, a woman should only show their body to their husband but riding a donkey means her face, hair and maybe thighs will be out there for all to see," he said.
"It’s simply meant to teach our women morals and spirituality.”
He however says in the cases where a woman is sick or in labour, she can be straddled on a donkey and rushed to a hospital.
In 2001, Lamu Old Town was listed as a world heritage site by Unesco owing to its well-preserved culture and heritage spanning decades.
Chonda said women not riding donkeys is among such cultural practices, which must be respected without question.
Donkey owner Ali Shee said it is against Islam for a woman to ride a donkey as they expose their bodies when in fact they should cover themselves from head to toe when in public.
However, Lamu Muslim cleric Abdulkadir Mau said nowhere does Islam prohibit women from riding donkeys as long as their bodies remain well concealed and respectful.
He said for many women in Lamu, not riding donkeys is a personal choice made entirely on the basis of culture and tradition.
“It’s not written anywhere in the Quran that a woman shouldn’t ride a donkey. For Lamu, I believe it's all tradition which they aren’t ready to break away from. They are just not used to it,” Mau said.
Lamu municipality manager Omar Famau said the issue is tied to culture and upbringing.
He added male chauvinism has overshadowed the woman’s lifestyle as she is simply expected to look good and stay indoors with her children and wait for her husband.
“Girls are born into a world where their mothers, aunties and grandmothers don’t as much as touch donkeys and the cycle goes on like that,” Famau said.
Majority of the women who spoke said they were ashamed of being stared at in case they wanted to engage in donkey riding.
“Most of us are shy and because it has not happened here,” Salwa Ahmed said.
Sanura Abdalla, 28, said her decision not to ride donkeys is out of respect for her religion and culture. “I am proud to be Muslim and understand that there are some things I shouldn’t do as a woman and that includes riding donkeys.”
(edited by Amol Awuor)
