The Religion of Kenya: Beliefs and Rituals

Kenya is a country with many gods, rituals and beliefs. There are so many different tribes who all have their own cultures. The Kikuyu tribe believe in the existence of spirits that they call "Mwisho." They also believe in witchcraft by calling it "Nganga" which is done through the use of spells to harm others. The Luo tribe believes that there are two forces at work; one good and one bad called Mwitu, or Mukama respectively.

Kenyans worship many gods like Nyambe (god of rain) and Ngai (god of thunder).

 

Section 1: The many beliefs and rituals in Kenya

I would like to introduce to you a little of the beliefs and rituals in Kenya. If you're religious, you may be looking forward to reading about some different beliefs in Kenya.

 

Ancestors are very important to the Kikuyu tribe. A person's mother's brother, parents' brothers or any male relatives on the mother's side are considered their maternal uncles. This makes it easier for one to have a child, because one is considered to be related to them. A daughter, by definition, is related to all the maternal uncles. A male child is related to all the maternal aunts, thus having a male heir is just as easy.

 

A funeral is usually accompanied by a dance called "Lutta" (meaning dance). A luta refers to the dance performed by the family and friends, while lutta is the dance of mourning or grief.

 

The Kikuyu tribe and their beliefs and rituals

The Kikuyu tribe's belief system is a mix of Christianity and traditional African religion. The Kikuyu believe that their leader Mwatu is the god of creation and that he protects the nation of Kenya. According to them, the country is a safe place where there are no enemies. They also believe that they have a special relationship with Nyambe, a rain god.

 

Their myths and beliefs like the mystery of death and why they are awake at night and they put so much emphasis on burial rituals. They also observe many specific religious rituals like calling for rain before one buries the dead and before a child is born. They believe that this ceremony brings good luck for the next generation.

 

The Luo tribe and their beliefs and rituals

The Luo tribe are the people who come from the south-western region of Kenya, they are also the first to embrace Christianity. They celebrate Easter and Christmas along with other Catholic Christian holidays. The important festivals that the Luo tribe celebrate include the birth of Jesus, the shortest day of the year, the rainy season and Easter.

 

The Moi's and the Kenyan monotheism

 

President Daniel arap Moi was a believer in the Egyptian God Horus as well as in the Christian God and even promoted the new invented God of Christianity who was simply called the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The Kenyan President died in 2002 but his belief in the Christ of Christianity is still important to the Luo tribe.

 

Conclusion

Kenya is a very interesting and diverse country with many beliefs, myths and traditions. Although some of these are considered modern, others like Nyambe (God of rain) and Nguo (God of thunder) are considered ancient. So it is a very complicated place to be and to live. Although there are great differences between tribes and cultures, the similarity is striking when compared to the rest of the world.

 

"Most of us could learn a lot from Kenyan tribes who know very well how to interact with each other peacefully." (Egbidi FM 105.5's Programmes Manager, George Kivuti)

 

Friends, family and tribes can be a source of guidance and advice for each other. Any single negative thing done to someone, would have a great impact on another person also.