• The book reflects broadly on traditions past and present in the modern world
• Former CJ Willy Mutunga will be Guest of Honour at launch in Alliance, 4-7pm
Image: COURTESY
Title: Some Traditions of the Akamba of Kenya
Author: Celia Nyamweru
(Old Africa Books, 2021)
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something true…
This phrase conveys something of what this book presents of aspects of the cultural life, past and present, of the Kikamba-speaking counties of Eastern Kenya. Dr Celia Nyamweru and her team of researchers have drawn from colonial-era records and studies, recent studies and their own empirical qualitative research conducted between 2017 and 2020 to present a rich account indeed.
The book opens by reflecting on the question, ‘What is culture?’ This is followed almost immediately by a spin-off question: How does a community respond to threats to community life? At first, I wondered how the two questions are connected, but when you really think about it, how we respond in moments of crisis does give away our true culture. A community’s responses over time congeal into the beliefs, practices and rituals that build up into the shared point of reference that we term ‘culture’ or ‘tradition’. The book gets into the details of these beliefs, practices and rituals that have developed and come to be identified as part of Akamba culture.
The famous kithitu oath occupies a predominant place (five of the substantive chapters) since interest in its contemporary use is what triggered the study in the first place. The book’s cultural tour covers other features, such as ordeals, sacred sites, curses and protective objects (charms).
For whom is this book written? In the author’s own words, the book is written to appeal to a wide audience. I agree. There are parts of it that would make good discussion material for a high school classroom (complete with a glossary of Kikamba words and technical terms in English), and parts of it that are a researcher’s paradise.
I can see my 17-year-old daughter reading the first three chapters, particularly the brief but clearly presented history of the Akamba — origin stories tend to draw her in. A large part of the book takes on a more academic tone, discussing the various writings on the minutest details of descriptions of rituals and ritual objects, and the correct way to spell and translate Kikamba words.
Triangulation between three colonial officers’ and anthropologists’ accounts, interposed with commentary from David Maillu and DM Kimilu (author of Muukamba wa w’o), with heavy citation, is certainly not my 17-year-old’s cup of tea! A researcher new to the field, on the other hand, would thank the author profusely for leaving such clear signposts and warning of potholes.
To its credit, the book does not treat culture as though it were static and bounded. It takes note of ‘borrowing’ from neighbouring communities, and the influence of historical change, not least, infusion with religious beliefs and practices from Christianity and Islam.
The author observes that in the 2019 census, only 0.6 per cent of Kenyans identified themselves as ‘traditionalists’. 85 per cent identified as Christian, while 11 per cent identified as Muslim. However, ‘traditonalist’ beliefs and practices need no self-identification; they are more prevalent than we care to admit. Who hasn’t seen posters in urban neighbourhoods advertising a long list of services by ‘Doctor’ someone or other? (By the way, a sampling of these posters is included at the end of the book).
The dominant reality is one of syncretic practice, as is evidenced by the way we conduct marriage ceremonies, burials, inheritance and mark social milestones. Based on interviews with 73 people (67 per cent men, 33 per cent women), the author concludes that many Akamba Christians lead ‘an amphibian sort of life’.
This is not unique to the Eastern counties. We all pick and choose from an invisible cultural toolbox, keeping some tools and discarding others as we go through life. Sometimes we are aware of our agency in shaping the culture around us, and at other times we have the sense that culture is raining down on us; that it has acquired an existence quite separate from us.
Our freedom to sift through the cultural toolbox is now protected under Article 44 of the 2010 Constitution. This article of the Constitution recognises everyone’s right to participate in the cultural life of one’s choice, as well as the right not to be compelled ‘to observe, practise or undergo any cultural practice or rite.’ In my view, Dr Nyamweru’s book has aided the exercise of that freedom by presenting an informed analysis, digging into the historical foundations of the cultural practices in question.
For adherents of monotheistic religions, such as Christianity and Islam, having this detailed information on cultural foundations enhances discernment. One is able to decide whether the practice in question is compatible with the tenets of their professed faith, or whether the symbolism underlying a certain practice embeds that practice in a worldview that is irreconcilable to that faith. For instance, is mbingo (discussed in the book, the placing of protective charms around one’s home or business) compatible with Christian belief in a sovereign and omnipotent God?
The scope of the book is broader than the title suggests. It reflects broadly on ‘traditions in the modern world’. The book raises questions such as how the legal process might engage with cultural understandings and practices of justice without offending the constitutional safeguard in Article 44, and how the established church could do more to help people navigate the syncretic realities they live in. The author concedes that these are big questions to which the book does not provide answers. It certainly does trigger debate!
The book is available for Sh1,000 via M-Pesa till number 89867. Follow this up with an email giving the name of the book, your name and address for shipping. The email address to use is [email protected]. It is also on Amazon as well as bookshops including Nuria Bookshop on Moi Avenue behind the Nation Centre (contact them on 0729 829697 or on nuriakenya.com) and Bookstop at Yahya Centre (0722 701782). You can reach the author via [email protected].
Reviewed by Dr Celestine Musembi, University of Nairobi School of Law ([email protected])