The cultural breakdown of Kenya
SGT Keen
13F ALC Class 002-18
NCO Academy
SFC Braden The cultural breakdown of Kenya
Located in the Great Lakes area of East Africa, Kenya is home to an estimated 47 million. The country, covering over 223,000 square miles is bordered by Ethiopia and Sudan to the north, Uganda to the west, Tanzania to the south, and Somalia to the east. The areas around the coast of the Indian Ocean present a tropical climate, while the highlands are more temperate. There is no specific cultural normality with the nation because of such diverse ethnic backgrounds. As much of Kenya is riddled with poverty, her economy is based on labor-intensive industries, such as mining, manufacturing, mining, forestry, and agriculture. The
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Many people blend their traditional beliefs in Christianity. Islam is practiced by approximately 10% of Kenya while the remaining practice more traditional religions, such as Baha’I. The Masai observe the beginning of the rainy season as a celebration that lasts for a few days that includes dancing, feasting, singing, and praying for the health of their livestock. One element inherent to traditional religions is that there is a spirit world inhabited by their ancestors. This spirit world is still believed to influence the world of the living, and that they will be reincarnated into their successors. Most Kenyans also believe that Due to its vast ethnic background, Kenya is linguistically inclined, with most of the population speaking English, Swahili, in addition to 42 different dialects. Although being the dominant language in the nation, English is usually used in government and business. The language is associated with the corresponding education level. In recent years, there has been a push to make Swahili the common tongue for …show more content…
With Kenya being a massive agricultural haven, and the need to expand their trade to different countries, Great Britain colonized Kenya in 1895. A secondary effect of this colonization was establishing a greater world influence, as Germans were setting the conditions to do the same. In 1920, Great Britain established British East Africa as an official crown colony of the British Empire. In the late 1940’s resentment of the British intruders deepened among the Kikuyu, resulting in a violent society known as the Mau Mau. Several factors to the rebellion included low wages, being forced from their own land, female circumcision. The primary matter was the void of political representation for the people of Kenya, under colonial rule by the British. In October 1952, the war officially began with British soldiers deployed to Kenya. The British empire declared Kenya a state of emergency and swiftly attempted to squash the resistance. Alleged Mau Mau were tortured, castrated, and raped. The guerrilla warfare continued for an additional 8 years. After much bloodshed on both sides, the British overwhelmed the rebels, forcing the Kikuyu into submission. In 1960, the war was declared over. The British government acknowledged the need for change and granted Kenya’s Independence in 1963. A Mau Mau leader, Jomo Kenyatta became the first president in the newly formed nation. Although independence was granted, the
In East Africa, there is an area know as the Great Rift Valley. It is in this Great Rift Valley, where the world’s most dominant long distance runners come from, Kenya. In the past three decades, runners from Kenya have simply dominated the sport of long distance running in all facets including cross-country, track, and the marathon. In the world rankings for marathon running, Kenyans hold 8 of the top 10 spots for the men and 6 of the top ten spots in women’s rankings. (Entine, Par. 2) But how can one country be so overpowering in a sport that anyone can participate in? There are a number of factors that all work together to make Kenyan runners the best of the best. Rigorous training regimens, the physical geography of Kenya, country and world support of the athletes, genetics and early participation of children are all factors in the study of why Kenyan runners are by far the best long distance runners in the world. To start off, you must look at the physical geography in which the Kenyans train.
Brief History From the 1500s to the 1700s, African blacks, mainly from the area of West Africa (today's Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Dahomey, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Gabon) were shipped as slaves to North America, Brazil, and the West Indies. For them, local and tribal differences, and even varying cultural backgrounds, soon melded into one common concern: the suffering they all endured. Music, songs, and dances as well as traditional food, helped not only to uplift them but also quite unintentionally added immeasurably to the culture around them. In the approximately 300 years that blacks have made their homes in North America, the West Indies, and Brazil, their highly honed art of the cuisine so treasured and carefully transmitted to their daughters has become part of the great culinary classics of these lands. But seldom are the African blacks given that recognition.
In sub-Saharan Africa, thousands of languages, cultures, and geographical regions helped influence our African society. The ways in which we produce our artwork, spiritual ideals, and ritual performances are organic and raw. From the tropical regions of Congo and Ghana, to the arid regions of Mali; I pass through the global gateway into a domain where the Western world lost its roots and artistic imagination and grandeur. Africa appeals most to me for its ability to create a realm where the living, dead, and artistic ideals come into a single unit of tranquil philosophy.
What is culture, one might ask? According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, culture is the “customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group or the characteristic features of everyday existence (as diversions or a way of life} shared by people in a place or time” (Culture). Five major characteristics that define a culture include culture is learned, culture is shared, culture is symbolic, culture is all-encompassing, and culture is integrated. Culture depends on the human capacity for cultural learning that encompasses shared rules for conduct and that are dependent upon symbols. Cultures can be integrated by using “social and economic forces, core values, and key symbols” (Mirror for Humanity, 2002). This essay will elaborate on the physical geography and military history of Sub-Saharan Africa, an analysis of its weather, and an overview of the ASCOPE acronym.
This took away the ability of Kenyans to practice or put out new modern ideas and name it their own. Taking away the locals “independence” is a setback in kenya’s development. Therefore, India’s involvement can be seen as a
2004 From Mukogodo To Maasai: Ethnicity and Cultural Change in Kenya (Westview Case Studies in Anthropology), Westview Press, pp. 27-35
For this assignment I chose to write about Jomo Kenyatta. After reading chapters three and four of Khapoya’s book, it was hard to imagine an Africa that wasn’t under colonial rule. I can only comprehend on a very basic level the impact colonialism had on the Africans economically, physically, and mentally. It is inspiring to read further and discover the immense, calculated, and passionate efforts that many Pan African leaders played in the years that followed. I found Jomo Kenyatta to be particularly interesting. For many reasons, Kenyatta is considered one of the most significant leaders of the Pan African movement in the twentieth century. Kenyatta had a clear vision of what he wanted for Kenya (or Africa as a whole), he was prepared for the path he would have to take, and he accomplished much for the country and continent as a whole.
“The sun never sets on the British Empire,” Great Britain often bragged. By 1914, about 85% of the earth’s surface was colonized by Europe. Between 1884 and 1885, The Berlin Conference took place to carve up the African continent (Background Essay). Europeans saw high potential in Africa and thought the continent was empty, even though it was not. It was roughly “untouched” and they thought they could do anything they wanted (Doc.1). Great Britain’s colonization in Kenya affected the country’s religion and culture, education, and government.
Jomo Kenyatta was the first president of the Republic of Kenya. Born in 1889 in Gatundu Kiambu Kenya, Kenyatta he grew to become one of the African prominent independent leaders. However, his rise into power in the wake of colonization was not a royal road. He was involved in major struggles for independence both in Kenya and other African countries. He managed to acquire education during the times when few Africans were going to school. Kenyatta completed his mission school education in 1912 and became a carpenter. After his initiation which involved physical circumcision as per the Kikuyu culture, he became a renowned person among his people. He was later baptised at the Scotland mission church. His name was changed from John Peter Kamau to Johnson Kamau. Later, he left his home to seek employment in Nairobi. His first job was at Thika where he worked at a sisal farm. At this period, World War I was taking place and British was also involved in war, hence, forced the able bodied men to work in order to avoid them being involved in the war. However, Kenyatta was lucky to escape and went to live with the Masaai in Narok where he got a job as clerk to an Asian contractor. This is the time when he got his name Kenyatta as he took part in the swearing tradition which involved traditional beaded belts which is referred to as “Kenyatta.”
The Republic of Kenya is located in Eastern Africa, between Somalia and Tanzania, bordering the Indian Ocean. The Kenya colony was established in 1920 after the creation of the East Africa Protectorate by the British Empire in 1895. In 1963, the United Kingdom relinquished power over the Colony of Kenya and the Sultan of Zanzibar agreed to cease his dominance over the Protectorate of Kenya, resulting in Kenya’s establishment as a sovereign, independent state. Following its independence, Kenya was dominated by the Kenya African National Union (KANU), a political party formed by Jomo Kenyatta who would go on to become the country’s first president. It is currently a presidential representative democratic republic, with the president as head of state and head of government. Presently, Jomo Kenyatta’s son Uhuru Kenyatta presides over the nation as its leader.
In Kenya, it is comprised of several different groups that are distinct ethno-linguistic. Over several decades, Kenya has evolved both biologically and culturally. This culture has a great diversity of customs and family patterns. To understand the families in Kenya, it is also important to understand their culture backgrounds and where they come from. Family has a high value in this culture and is considered the center of community life. The children here hold an upmost importance because it can be considered an economic advantage having more children and also wives too. It is common here for families to have eight or more children because there was a
When the British colonised Kenya, they claimed the fertile highlands that belonged to the Kikuyu and Kamba people who were the main group of agriculturists in central Kenya and allocated it to white settlers. The Kikuyus were not compensated for the land that they lost and were not allowed to lease or buy back their land. The British government did nothing but make empty promises to the people. (Bailey, 1993). This made them bitter and led to the creation of groups such as the Mau Mau and the Kenya African Union (KAU) which were supported by the general population of Kenya as they strived to get a settlement for the grievances of the people and to enable them to have political rights which was one of the major grievances. These grievances were over land; the Kipande (a system of identification and a registration document) and political rights. The forcing of taxes and labour were an important basis for the rise of African nationalism.
On the eastern coast of Africa lies a land full of sunny blue skies and large plains in which zebras and elephants roam. This land is the country of Kenya. Outside of Kenya’s cities and towns lies many samples of natures beauty. Unfortunately, the people living in this land are troubled by their struggle with the government and trying to form a democracy. Matthew Carotenuto stated, “Much of the world had historically viewed Kenya as an island of peace and economic potential in a roiling sea of stateless chaos.” What he means is that people have long seen Kenya as a peaceful place that is surrounded by countries suffering from all sorts of violence and unfortunate circumstances. What many people do not know is that Kenya has a long history for political violence going way back to when the country was colonized. Understanding that Kenya’s past violence was due to their struggle for social and political authority helps us understand some of their violence issues today. According to Maina Kiai, violence broke out after Kenya’s 2007 election. Many people had thought that Kenya was a more peaceful country compared to others in Africa because they were working towards a democracy. Currently Kenya is a republic (“Kenya” The World...). Another thing Kiai mentioned is that one of Kenya’s major political problems is that Kenya's constitution gives the president full power to elect anyone he wants into a political position for any salary he chooses. Scott Baldauf and Robert Crilly also explain how Kenya is trying to become a democracy but its political system is weak and allows the president too much power, making the nation a dictatorship in disguise. This leads to many ethical issues within the governments systems. We should care about Ken...
What is culture? Culture refers to the cumulative deposit of knowledge, experience, beliefs, values, attitudes, meanings, hierarchies, religion, notions of time, roles, spatial relations, concepts of the universe, and material objects and possessions acquired by a group of people in the course of generations through individual and group striving
The paper seeks to understand the political, social and cultural variables that have thrown Kenya into the geo-political limelight insofar as the so-called ‘War on Terrorism’ is concerned. The paper ends by discussing the security and economic implications of Kenya’s foreign policy positions as they relate to the evolving Middle-East conflicts.