- It will provide a platform for the community to cement its grip in keeping with its traditional values.
- Kenya Tourism Board acting CEO John Chirchir confirmed that several tourists would have their first-hand experience of the Maasai Culture.
Image: HANDOUT
The unique Maasai tradition is expected to pull hundreds of international tourists keen to learn a thing or two.
The inaugural Maa festival is set to start at Sekenani Gate from August 2 to 24.
It will provide a platform for the community to cement its grip in keeping with its traditional values.
Kenya Tourism Board acting chief executive officer John Chirchir on Friday confirmed that several tourists from across the globe already in Maasai Mara for the game safari would have their first-hand experience of the Maasai Culture.
“This festival will not only attract Kenyans, but we will be having a good number of international visitors who are already or those coming to Maasai Mara for the annual wildebeest migration experience," he said.
"This will be an opportunity to showcase different cultural traditions by the Maa community."
The Maasai Mara Game Reserve is at the moment receiving an unprecedented number of visitors both locally and internationally courtesy of the annual wildebeest migration phenomenon that is currently at its peak.
Chirchir said traditional festivals have continued to hype and positively profiled the diversity of Kenya’s cultures amongst different ethnic groups besides fostering peaceful co-existence among communities.
“Cultural events such as Lamu Cultural Festival, Rusinga Cultural Festivals, and Lake Turkana Cultural Festivals among others have continued to strengthen culture as a tourism experience, besides other attractions we gave for our visitors,” he said.
Chirchir lauded the cultural events as having contributed heavily to the economic livelihoods of the hosting regions besides enhancing cultural exchanges and cohesion among communities.
The inaugural event set in motion the resolve of the community to put their cultural ceremonies on an annual calendar of events to be held rotationally by the Maa-speaking counties of Narok, Kajiado and Samburu.
Narok Kajiado Economic Bloc chief executive officer Jackson Mpario said the 4-day long extravaganza has a line-up of cultural showcases ranging from songs, dances, poetry, sports, Maa cuisines and material culture.
“This event provides an avenue for cultural celebrations and preservation as well as service as a mechanism for upholding community values that are under threat of extinction with cultural hegemony dues to globalization,” Mpario said.
The Maa-speaking counties will be expected in the event that is attracting an estimated of over 12,000 participants daily.
“The event will be an opportunity for nurturing talents and sharpening skills of our local talents especially Maa music and sports besides market of our artefacts made by our blacksmiths,” Mpario said.