Plans to establish Garissa cultural heritage on - CS Cheptumo

Gender Cabinet Secretary Hanna Cheptumo on Saturday revealed plans by the government to establish a Garissa cultural heritage centre to serve as a focal point for cultural exchange and community engagement.

Cheptumo said the centre will, among other things, help in the preservation of history and traditions, provide educational resources for schools, researchers, and the public, as well as strengthen a sense of belonging and cultural identity within a community.

The CS was speaking in Garissa during the county’s first-ever cultural event, where communities showcased their diverse heritage.

“Having a cultural heritage centre in your city comes with a lot of benefits because it will help in attracting visitors interested in culture and history. It also provides a platform for intercultural exchange and understanding. It also gives marginalised communities a voice and visibility,” she said.

Cheptumo described the event as a deep reflection of how different ethnic communities were preserving their culture regardless of which part of the country they lived in.

“In this event, we have demonstrated our diverse cultural heritage and unity as Kenyan communities,” she said.

She urged the pastoralist communities to end retrogressive cultural practices where girls were still undergoing Female Genital Mutilation.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale encouraged the communities in Garissa to continue coexisting as one community and avoid divisive politics.

He also appreciated the diversity and shared identities that were displayed during the event.

Garissa Governor Nathif Jama said the event was the first of its kind but will be held annually to promote intercultural understanding, tolerance, and to promote tourism in the near future.

The communities celebrated and shared their colorful heritage, which promotes artistic, historical, and social aspects of a community.

Among the communities that participated were the Somali, Borana, Masaai, Kalenjin, Kikuyu, Mjikenda, Meru, Kamba, Aweir, Teso, Luhya, Munya Yaya, Waliwana, Arabs, and Kisii.

Themed, “ Celebrating Timeless Traditions Woven in Unity,” the event fostered intercultural understanding, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence among different ethnic communities.

Mariamu Bini, a dancer from the Aweir community, a minority group from Bodhai Subcounty in Ijara constituency, was among many who got the opportunity to display their rich cultural heritage.

“I am happy today, the occasion serves as an opportunity to display cultural heritage, many who have not heard that we exist will today know more about the Aweir community,” she said.

Differently, the community staged a dance with a display of their traditional hunting skills.

Mustafa Muhumed Omar, the Preston the Somali Region of Ethiopia, who was the chief guest, emphasised the uniqueness of the event, saying it defined the diverse heritage of many Kenyan communities.

“I thought Garissa was a custodian of only the Somali culture, but today I learnt it was beyond with the majority of Kenyan communities who live here showcasing their rich cultural heritage,” he said.

Omar appreciated the participants for preserving the cultural heritage that he said was a sense of identity and safeguarding historical roots.

He said the event was a platform that helped the diverse communities share their different culture.

He highlighted the cultural similarities that the communities in Northern Kenya shared with the neighboring Ethiopian communities.

Other leaders who also spoke and appreciated the cultural event included Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi, Lamu Governor Issa Timamy, Marsabit Governor Mohamud Ali ,Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, Senator Asosti Atieno(Vihiga), and Principal Secretary Ummi Bashir(Culture).

Others included Garissa MP Dekow Barrow, Mandera East MP Hussein Witan, Jubbaland vice president  Mohamud Sayid, Somalia ambassador to Kenya Jibril Ibrahim and former  Somalia Prime Minister.

The event ended with a display of camel and boat races.