Report on the Seminar ‘Paying for past debts: re(connecting) family at a time of increased cultural consciousness’

On 10 April, Dr Kennedy Gitu gave a timely presentation on ‘Paying for past debts: re(connecting) family at a time of increased cultural consciousness’,  a subject matter that is relevant in today’s society, especially given the proliferation of cultural and social events such as Ngemi (a popular Kenyan cultural festival, primarily celebrating Gikuyu (Kikuyu) heritage through music, traditional food, art, fashion, and dance), Ruracio (the traditional dowry negotiation and payment ceremony among the Kikuyu community, functioning as a formal engagement), Koito (a Kalenjin wedding ritual that functions as the formal engagement for dowry negotiation), as well as new sources of history on social media and vernacular radio stations.

The session began with the exploration of how inter-cultural ties came to be, particularly the Maasai-Kikuyu relations. Their point of contact was attributed to peaceful marriages, seasonal disasters and diseases — prompting pawnship in times of such misfortunes, and conflicts such as the Iloikop wars which took place in the mid to late 1800s. With this foundation, it was easier to understand the different case studies analysed in the discussion, such as that of Mosana and Kumale Ole Lemotaka. 

Amidst the clan wars in South Kinangop, Wambui Waiyaki Otieno fled with her son Kumale Ole Lemotaka to Kikuyuland. There, Gathetha wa Ngekenya accepted both mother and child as kin. Two generations later, Waiyaki wa Hinga whose Maasai name is Koiyaki ole Kumale, an influential leader during the colonial era, was born. 

The story of Mosana shares a similar background, as she was traced to Naroosura in Narok, but was married off in Kikuyuland, where she birthed Kung’u Magana, the father to Jomo Kenyatta. According to family members involved in the negotiations, Mosana’s case was an abduction, as she was taken from her manyatta. Consequently, in 2017, the extended family of former president Uhuru Kenyatta initiated a process to pay dowry for his great grandmother, Mosana, who was abducted about 200 years ago. It was believed that the family paid off this debt to break any curses or bad omens  as dowry, particularly that of a maternal affine, was considered to have a link to success, failures and misfortunes. Repayment was considered a way of ‘inheriting’ blessings from their ancestors.

This occurrence is an indicator of the rise in cultural consciousness and the desire to understand one’s history. It has also been accompanied by a (re)awakening of the past in many communities, particularly with regard to dowry (re)payment, the wish to reconnect with lost families who were born in distant lands, the growth of cultural groups such as kiama (a council, group, or committee of elders, often associated with cultural, legal, and spiritual authority in Kikuyu culture) and mburi, and the proliferation of cultural advisors.

We would also like to thank Prof. Henri Médard, the discussant, for leading such a vibrant discussion, and we would like to thank the attendees for sharing their experiences and prompting such an engaging conversation.

Cece Nyawira

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