Kenya is undoubtedly one of the most popular tourist destinations in Africa. This is mainly due to the wildlife, sandy beaches and diverse culture. Home to 42 tribes, Kenya offers a rich cultural diversity that makes it the best place for cultural tourism. Most cultural practices in Kenya are not uncommon in general, but some are quite bizarre, bordering on the insane. The following is a list of strange Kenyan cultural practices
5 Bizarre Kenyan Cultural Practices
Mourning Ceremonies – Luo Nyanza
Courtesy of Luonyanza.com
The funeral service of the Luo, a large tribe in western Kenya, tops our list of strange Kenyan cultural practices. Better known as the mourning tribe of Kenya, the Luo have commercialized mourning ceremonies and taken them to a whole different level since time immemorial.
Funerals within the Luo community tend to be exorbitant and are usually characterized by intense mourning and destruction of deceased property by the mourners. The situation is usually further aggravated if the deceased was a wealthy man or a person of high standing in the community.
Immediately a person goes on; Relatives and friends flocked loudly to the deceased’s home, lamenting and singing about the deceased’s great deeds, most of which did not exist. Mourners usually made an impromptu walk around the grounds before setting up the kitchen and making a permanent residence in close proximity to the kitchen so as not to miss the funeral services. In extreme cases, the mourners usually resort to slaughtering the deceased’s cattle while lamenting the use of the cattle when the deceased is not there to drink the milk.
Bullfighting – Luhya
Bullfighting is another strange culture from the Luhya community of western Kenya. The act is considered a form of sport by the Luhya and is usually performed in honor of visitors deemed important or on special occasions. As the name suggests, bullfighting basically means a fight between bulls with two or more bulls participating in the sport. The number of bulls generally varies according to the importance of the ceremony.
A typical bullfighting ceremony takes place in the early morning to give way to the day’s activities and to avoid the midday sun. These ceremonies draw thousands of people and are characterized by the beating of the Isukuti drums, intense dancing through the crowd, and taunting of the bulls to give them morale. The bulls, usually of gigantic proportions and with markings on their bodies, are directed to an open area where the competition is to take place. Driven by the crowd and the beating of the drums, the cops are usually driven insane and immediately get into a fight when the crowd gives in and they spot each other. This The quirky Kenyan culture is currently being popularized as a tourist attraction by the Kenyan government.
Night Runner – Kisii
Night running is also among the 5 weird cultural practices in Kenya. While night running is widespread in other communities in Kenya, the Kisiis are best known for this activity. Night running usually borders on the bizarre as it usually involves a person stripping naked and running a considerable distance at night. It is believed that the Nightwalkers are usually possessed by spirits and do not know what they are doing. While nightrunners aren’t destructive, meeting up in the middle of the night is undoubtedly not a pleasant experience.
Circumcision Ceremony – Bukusu
The Bukusu circumcision ceremony is another cultural practice that is undoubtedly one of the craziest in Kenya. During these ceremonies, the young men usually strip naked, put on a loincloth, and paint their entire bodies with white chalk paste. Then they move from one village to another while dancing and singing.
Funeral Teso
The Teso community is also featured in our list of the strangest cultural practices in Kenya. The Teso usually bury their dead with their palms clasped under their cheeks. The body is then positioned to face the defunct homesteads. It is a widely held belief that placing the body in such a position brings peace of mind to the deceased in the afterlife.