Diversity In Culture.

Ps 133:1 - ''How good & Pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity.''

Fact - According to ChatGpt (our go to person 😅)there are 43 tribes in Kenya. Each tribe has its own language, customs, traditional clothing, and beliefs, contributing to Kenya’s rich cultural diversity.

 I remember when I was pursuing my International Baccalaureate Studies(IBS). This is a two year Post High School Course that enables students to go abroad for their University studies. You see while I was in High School I had a dream of going outside the country for my university studies. My choices were the UK or South Africa.

And I remember one evening after my classes my dad came to pick me from school. I noticed by Late Brother Nathaniel (may he continue to Rest In Perfect Peace 😭😭) was not in the car. And immediately I entered the car my dad told me that he picked Nathaniel from school earlier on because he was caught in a fight with another boy. My dad told me that the boy was from the Luo tribe. And he went on to tell me that we the Kikuyu's don't mix with the Luo tribe that was the very first time I had my dad talk along tribal lines. I know for a fact without a shadow of doubt that there are generations whose parents were Kikuyus or other tribes and they were told directly or indirectly that they can't marry from a certain tribe and that is how Cultural Socialization impacted our personal lives. 

And these beliefs can affect personal relationships, often without people fully questioning their origins. Indeed culture greatly influences our identity and interactions in the society. And so from then on I knew that I Njeri can't and will not marry a Luo Man because my father had spoken. 

The same can be said of the Kalenjin tribe. Recently there was a popular social media debate that its Kips(Men) for Cheps(women). And one of the reasons was that there shall be no contamination of blood with other communities. Back in high school I had three beautiful Kalenjin classmates whom we were very good friends. I remember Cheptoo, Chebet & Chemutai. I tell you I truly admired their names to me they sounded so unique. And when it came to studies they topped the list. So I have always associated good brains with the Kalenjins. I knew they were good in the books & in the running tracks.

I remember sometime back after a Prision Ministry Session. A friend of mine told me how she truly admires the name Kigen. I agreed with her sentiments and resolved to name one of our sons Kigen.

It never occurred to us that we might have to be married in that community. Its simply a name we truly admired. Till date I have always admired the Kalenjins the unique naming system. I have always had strong admiration of the beautiful green scenery in their lands I mean have you been to the Rift Valley especially Kericho it is beauty to behold & not to talk of their rich culture of Koito's I always look at the videos and the dancing itself shows these ones didn't come to play.

A story is told by my mother of how her late father went in the middle of the night to get their older sister who had been married(come we stay 😉) to a Kalenjin Man. And that's how extreme cultural socialization can be.

But today thanks to modernization & our interaction with other tribes we have come to embrace Inter - Marriages. I mean LOVE shouldn't know tribe. One person is of the school of thought that Inter Marriages can be used to curb tribalism that is so rooted in this country such that the first question someone will ask is where you come from. 

Let's embrace inter - marriages. So that during Introductions you can take your people for Road Trips. Learn new cultures, new ways of doing things, sample different foods or even learn a different language. When I was growing up I intentionally didn't learn the Kikuyu language. I would always jokingly tell my Aunties that I wont marry a Kikuyu so I don't see the need of learning the language. 😅😅

Sadly this Cultural Socialization has trickled down to the Political System which has affected our governance greatly. This can be attributed to the slogan Mtu Wetu(our person). Political Alliances have been formed along with tribal lines. 

And sadly because of the phrase (mtu wetu) most of the time we end up electing our fellow tribesmen. With the mentality that the leadership seat should always be occupied with mtu wa nyumbani (someone from home). 

Negative Cultural Socialization has led to street protests which led to the Post Election Violence which was the brink of war. I have a friend who recently visited Rwanda and after visiting the Kigal Genocide Memorial she posted a picture and captioned how Kenyan politicians should visit the place and see the cost of negative tribal politics. The Rwandan Genocide in 1994 was primarily a conflict between the Hutu and Tutsi. Two tribes and it led to a whole Genocide. 

I hear these days in Rwanda you can't identify yourself through tribal lines. But as Kenyans we need to embrace our cultural diversity positively. God doesn't see us through tribals lines but as his beloved children. 

Let Us Embrace Each Other's Culture Positively.